“Geopolitics of the Gulf of Guinea: Angola's Strategic Position”, by Gilberto Veríssimo
On 19 May, the Auditório Óscar Soares Barata at ISCSP-ULisboa (Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas) in Lisbon hosted the launch of the book “Geopolitics of the Gulf of Guinea: Angola's Strategic Position”, written by Brigadier Gilberto Veríssimo, Deputy Executive Secretary for Political Affairs of the Gulf of Guinea Commission.
The book includes a preface by Professor Adriano Moreira, an opening note by Professor Manuel Meirinho, President of the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, a presentation by Professor Heitor Romana, Coordinator of the ISCSP Doctoral Programme in Strategic Studies, and a tribute to the work of Lieutenant General Alípio Tomé Pinto.
The work identifies Angola's role and place in the Gulf of Guinea region from a strategic perspective. To this end, it uses a research model it calls «in-depth analysis». Applied to the geopolitical space of the Gulf of Guinea, it can be replicated elsewhere. The model proposes an analysis at three levels. The macro level examines the position of sub-Saharan Africa within the International Political System. The meso level examines the geopolitical and geostrategic situation in the Gulf of Guinea. The micro level examines Angola's strategic position within the geopolitical space of the Gulf of Guinea. This last level rests on the concepts of «national power base», as opposed to the concept of strategic potential usually used in geopolitical analysis, and «strategic position», both proposed by the research. In addition, the work examines the place of Africa in the theories of International Relations, Geopolitics and Strategy. Finally, starting from the country's current national objectives, which the work identifies while keeping the holistic view required by strategic studies, it identifies strategic concepts and guiding lines to shape Angola's foreign and defence policies, within the framework of building a zone of peace and security in the geopolitical space of the Gulf of Guinea. The research also determines the limits of the geopolitical region, as part of an innovative geopolitical framing of the African continent.
Lieutenant General Alípio Tomé Pinto, Professor Luís Amado and the publisher Professor Pedro Alexandre da Costa Sousa were the leading figures present at this event, which Holos is proud to have made possible.