VZCZCXRO4762
RR RUEHMR
DE RUEHLU #0342/01 0961646
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061646Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2697
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 000342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR PARM AO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR EFIRD MEETS WITH NEW ANGOLAN MINISTER 
OF THE INTERIOR 
 
REF: A. LUANDA 161 
     ¶B. LUANDA 283 
 
LUANDA 00000342  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Amb Cynthia G. Efird for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
Summary: 
 
¶1. (SBU) New Angolan Interior Minister Ngongo told Ambassador 
Efird that he supports human rights and free elections, and 
accountability and transparency in police actions.  He hopes 
to continue close cooperation with the USG in ILEA training 
programs, and engage in the newly funded civilian small arms 
collection and destruction program.  He also provided us with 
the results of an investigation into a recent alleged police 
abuse, in response to a March letter from Ambassador Efird. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Ambassador Efird called on the new Angolan Minister of 
the Interior, General Roberto Leal Ramos Monteiro, 
 Ngongo,, on April 6, 2006.  Ambassador Efird was 
accompanied by Pol/Econ chief, Minister Ngongo was joined by 
an assistant and a translator.  Ngongo was sworn in as 
Minister of the Interior in March 2006, following the death 
of previous Interior Minister van Dunem (reftel A).  This was 
Minister Ngongo,s first appointment with a foreign 
Ambassador in Luanda. 
 
USG: Continued Cooperation on Human Rights and Rule of Law 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Efird expressed our condolences on 
Minister Van Dunem,s death and welcomed Ngongo's very 
positive formal official statements in the press regarding 
transparency and justice since taking office.  She remarked 
on the past cooperation enjoyed by the USG and the Ministry, 
detailing the 160 Angolan police trained through the ILEA 
programs in Botswana and New Mexico, and our current support 
of the civilian disarmament program implemented by the HALO 
Trust NGO in conjunction with local police.  Ambassador Efird 
invited the Minister to accompany her to watch HALO and the 
police destroy collected weapons.  He appeared enthusiastic 
to accompany us on such a visit. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Efird also spoke of US interest in 
Angola,s support for human rights, citing the recent release 
of the Human Rights Report.   She discussed the importance of 
political tolerance in conjunction with the upcoming voter 
registration process, and hoped that the police would be able 
to ensure the rights of all citizens participating in the 
election process.  She also offered technical assistance and 
capacity building to focus on these issues. 
 
Angola Committed to Upholding Human Rights 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Minister Ngongo commented that he was committed to 
the establishment of democratic process in Angola, but noted 
that this is a country which has grown out of violence ) 
first against the colonial powers and then in civil war.  He 
lamented the number of generations who have been raised in a 
culture of violence.  Ngongo commented that, while 
achievements have been made, timetables to achieve the end 
result of democracy can vary.  He said that sometimes 
international pressure can spur the GRA to find solutions to 
problems more quickly. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Minister Ngongo also thanked the Ambassador for her 
letter raising the recent shooting of a young boy in Luanda 
during the evacuation and demolition of a housing project 
(reftel B).  He noted that he had called for a full 
investigation, which determined that the person in possession 
of the weapon was not a policeman.  This man has since been 
imprisoned.  He issued an open invitation for Embassy 
representatives, NGOs and the press to meet with the man in 
jail should we wish.  He added that the Ministry had provided 
this information to the media.  Further, he requested that 
the Ambassador continue to inform him of any such events in 
the future. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Ambassador Efird thanked him for this information 
and his interest in looking into the incident.  With 
reference to the Human Rights Report, she suggested that it 
would be helpful if the Ministry could make available 
statistics to the Embassy to demonstrate that it is solving 
open cases and according due process to those suspected of 
crimes.  She also specifically requested statistics on GRA 
efforts in combatting trafficking in persons.  The Minister 
expressed surprise that this information wasn,t openly 
available, asking his aide,  What, we don,t publish this?, 
  He recognized the importance of maintaining transparency in 
police actions and in being open with the press. 
 
 
LUANDA 00000342  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Comment and Biographical Information: 
------------------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Minister Ngongo was very engaging and made a point 
of noting that he chose to receive Ambassador Efird first 
among all the Ambassadors in Angola.  In this first official 
conversation, he certainly said all the right things.  His 
prompt action in the case of the young boy is very 
encouraging and we hope this will be indicative of his tenure 
as Minister.  End Comment. 
 
Biographical Information: 
¶9. (U) Roberto Leal Ramos Monteiro, best known as General 
Ngongo, was born in Luanda in 1945.  He joined the MPLA in 
1971, enlisting in the FAPLA (MPLA military wing) in 1974, 
then became Head of the Artillery Unit (1976-1978), then Head 
of Reconnaissance and Information Division (1978-1983). 
Between 1983 and 1988, General Ngongo was Deputy Army Chief 
of Staff and Head of Military Operations.  He was appointed 
Head of Defense and Security (1989-1990), Chief of Air Staff 
(1991-1992) and later Vice Minister for Defense (1993-1999). 
General Ngongo was appointed Ambassador to Russia in 2000, 
where he remained until his appointment as Minister of the 
Interior in March 2006. 
 
¶10. (C) Ngongo was born into an old Angolan-Portuguese family 
strongly linked to the MPLA and the GRA.  Family members 
include ex-finance Minister Alcantara Monteiro, Vice Minister 
of Justice, Alves Monteiro, and Senior Board Member of the 
Central Bank, Laura Monteiro.  However, Ngongo's branch of 
the family arose from an illegitimate relationship and is not 
recognized by the rest of the Monteiro family.  Ngongo has a 
reputation among Luanda's elite as hasty in making decisions 
and having a tendency to drink heavily.  He has an expansive 
and enthusiastic personality.  He also showed a great 
interest in culture and history, especially in the context of 
his years in Russia.  While Ngongo conducted the meeting in 
Portuguese, he appeared to have a firm command of English 
comprehension and conversational English. 
EFIRD