Higino Carneiro

General Francisco Higino Lopes Carneiro (born July 8, 1962) is currently a member of parliament for the MPLA in Angola.[1][2] He is, along with fellow "top generals" João Maria de Sousa, Hélder Vieira Dias, Roberto Leal Monteiro, and Kundi Paihama, one of the military leaders holding top ministerial posts for the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the political party that has ruled Angola since it gained its independence from Portugal in 1975.[3]

Higino Carneiro
Governor of Cuanza Sul
In office 1999–2002
Preceded by	Ramos da Cruz
Succeeded by	Serafim do Prado
Minister of Public Works
In office 2002–2012
Preceded by	Castro Van-Dúnem Loy
Succeeded by	Fernando da Fonseca
Governor of Cuando Cubango
In office 2012–2016
Preceded by	Eusébio de Brito Teixeira
Succeeded by	Pedro Mutindi
Governor of Luanda
In office 2016–2017
Preceded by	Graciano Domingos
Succeeded by	Adriano Mendes de Carvalho
Personal details
Born	July 8, 1962 Libolo, Cuanza Sul
Political party	Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola

Political life

He was a key figure in the successful peace negotiations between the Angolan government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), including that of Alto Cauango in 1991, which allowed for the gradual pacification of the country.[4]

Carneiro was included on the MPLA's national list in the September 2008 parliamentary election.[5][6] The MPLA won an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly.[6] Previously, he had been the vice-president of the National Assembly, governor of the provinces of Luanda, Cuando-Cubango and Kwanza Sul. He was also the Minister of Public Works for ten years, from 2002 to 2012.[4]

In February 2019, Carneiro was indicted for financial crimes committed during his tenure as governor of Luanda. These include allegations of corruption, money laundering and breach of trust.[7] Along with another lawmaker, Manuel Rabelais, he is the first former member of government to be prosecuted since Joao Lourenco became Angola’s president in 2017.[8] The General Attorney's Office on 13 February 2020 prohibited Carneiro from leaving the country as long as investigations are ongoing.[9]

Carneiro is also accused of having run a money-laundering scheme through a front company called Agro 88, owned by Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier.[10] It was reported by local media that Agro 88 was "a front company designed to suck Angola's money".[11]

References

1. Angola/Cunene: Public works minister guarantees houses for flood victims (reliefweb.int)
2. "Angola’s Economy Run By Presidential Daughters And Generals", July 2008 (thesouthernafrican.com)
3. http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=16918 Archived 2012-07-16 at Archive.today] "Private security companies and a parallel State in Angola" (africafiles.org)</
4. "Quem é o general e empresário Higino Carneiro?". amp.dw.com. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
5. "Eleições: Lista integral dos candidatos do MPLA, antigo PM Marcolino Moco fora, nova cara Akwá" Archived August 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Angola Xyami, July 5, 2008 (in Portuguese).
6. List of deputies elected in the 2008 election, CNE website (in Portuguese).
7. "João Lourenço's corruption battle: what has been achieved so far and what can we expect going forward? : Aperio Intelligence". www.aperio-intelligence.com. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
8. AfricaNews (2019-02-14). "Angola anti-corruption crackdown hits MP, ex-Luanda mayor". Africanews. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
9. "Higino Carneiro investigado por sete crimes e proibido de deixar Angola". www.voaportugues.com. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
10. "After the Luanda Leaks, the Deluge: The Lid Comes Off the Pilfering of Angola's Wealth". Ventures Africa. 3 February 2020.
11. voiceofangola (2018-07-20). "Membros da Elite corrupta Angolana – os chamados colecionadores de arte? Pergunte ao Yves Bouvier, negociante de arte infame". VOICE OF ANGOLA. Retrieved 2020-02-26.