Open-air beauty salons have been seen in Angolan streets and squares since the early 2000s. Young men become "unheiros", or manicurists, to pay for their studies and support their families.

In Perspective, FRANCE 24 looks at the past and present of one pocket of Southern Africa: the country of Angola. Paula Cristina Roque, who spent much of her Covid-19 lockdown penning a new book on Angola called "Governing In The Shadows", joins us from Lisbon to talk about her work.

Disrespect for traffic rules causes many road accidents in Angola. In Bengo province, a group of young men have use whistles on the streets to alert drivers to traffic violations. It's a complicated job.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Angola on Friday. One key issue will be trade between the two countries. Changes are underway in Angola. After decades of unbridled corruption under Eduardo dos Santos his successor has initiated a radical turnaround.

Twenty years ago, one of the longest, most brutal and deadliest wars of the last century ended in Angola. In 27 years, this conflict left nearly 1 million people dead and displaced 4 million. It has also left the country in ruins: In 2002, 60 percent of Angolans did not have access to drinking water and 30 percent of children died before the age of five. Has the West African country recovered from these dark years? We find out in this report by Clément Bonnerot, Dombaxi Sebastiao, Evan Claver and Juliette Dubois.

Angola will become the first African country to supply Germany with green hydrogen as Berlin seeks to transition into clean energy. Experts say Africa has massive green energy potential, but it involves risks.

Barely two months before the Angolan elections, political opponents accuse each other of unfairness. The opposition has criticized the ruling MPLA party for seeking to weaken it with the help of secret services.

Angola's former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Africa's second-biggest oil producer for nearly four decades, has died aged 79, the Angolan presidency said on Facebook on Friday.

Miners in Angola have discovered a rare pink diamond that experts think may be the largest unearthed in 300 years. The gem is expected to pick up a shimmering sum when it goes on sale.

On August 24, Angolan political parties are looking at the tightest race they have ever run in an election. DW explains who's running, what the issues are and why the contest is so intense this time.

Vote-counting begins after millions of Angolans cast ballots in the most competitive election the country has had since 1992. The opposition political bloc UNITA hopes to unseat the MPLA, which has ruled for nearly five decades.

Angola's election commission says the ruling MPLA party leads with a 52% majority; most votes counted.