LUANDA, Angola – The United States and Angola held the second Joint Angolan-American Defense Cooperation Committee (DEFCOM) meeting in Luanda, Angola, August 5-6, 2026, hosted by the Angolan Ministry of National Defense and Homeland Veterans.
The United States Department of War, Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs, Mr. Daniel L. Zimmerman; U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Shannon Cazeau; and U.S. Africa Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. John Brennan joined Angolan Minister of National Defense Lúcio Gonçalves Amaral; Secretary of State for Military Industry Gen. Afonso Carlos Neto; and the Angolan Ambassador to the U.S. Agostinho de Carvalho dos Santos Van-Dúnem in discussing strategic perspectives and identifying areas for mutual cooperation. The proceedings focused on ways both countries can deepen their partnership while reinforcing Angola’s role as a regional leader in southern Africa. This high-level dialogue with Angola demonstrates a growing bilateral commitment to enduring regional security, shared prosperity, and stability.
Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding of Defense Cooperation in 2017, the United States and Angola have steadily expanded shared security engagement, highlighted by the successful co-hosting of the 2026 African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Luanda in June.