• Téte António visits Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to deepen ties
• Tour aligns with Angola’s role as African Union president in 2025
• Angola seeks to strengthen political, economic, and regional cooperation

Angola’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Téte António, began a diplomatic tour on Sunday, June 15, with a visit to Senegal aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation. The announcement was made by the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Facebook.

The tour will continue through Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey—capitals of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—members of the Sahel States Alliance (SSA). The visits aim to deepen cooperation in multiple areas.

Upon arrival in Dakar, António was scheduled to hold high-level meetings focused on expanding political and diplomatic ties with Senegal to promote development and prosperity, according to the ministry’s statement.

Angola and Senegal maintain cordial relations supported by both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, particularly within the African Union and other regional bodies. In 2023, trade between the two countries reached $12.4 million, with key goods including coffee, tea, spices, food industry residues, and prepared animal feed, according to the International Trade Center.

With Mali, Angola shares a history of political engagement. In 2015, former Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keïta visited Luanda to initiate a legal framework for bilateral cooperation, including a memorandum of understanding and a joint commission.

Angola’s exchanges with Burkina Faso are more sporadic but focus on peace and development. In 2022, Angola exported $8.38 million worth of goods—mainly refined oil, cement, and glass bottles—while importing $741,000 of prepared cotton from Burkina Faso.

Relations with Niger remain limited, though opportunities for cooperation exist in regional security, education, and sustainable development.

Minister António’s tour takes place within a broader diplomatic context shaped by Angola’s current presidency of the African Union. The AU is closely monitoring tensions between ECOWAS and the Sahel States Alliance. Angola, under President João Lourenço, may play a role in efforts to support regional stability. Senegal is also viewed as a possible mediator between the two blocs due to its strategic influence in West Africa.