Russian diamond mining company Alrosa and bank VTB were forced to leave Angola due to international sanctions imposed because of the Ukraine war.
Angolan President João Lourenço has pivoted towards the West, and has not met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin since 2019.
The Russian operatives in Africa were breaking new ground by moving into Angola, it is claimed.
“This is indicative of Russian anxiety of the direction of travel of Angola under the Lourenço administration,” says Alex Vines, Africa programme director at think-tank European Council on Foreign Relations.
“There’s clearly an element of Russian disinformation to try and build up more sympathy towards the Russian Federation.”
Alongside the Russians, two Angolans will also face trial for their alleged part in the Russian-linked influence operation.
The prosecution alleges the Russians hired sports journalist Amor Carlos Tomé and political activist Francisco Oliveira to conduct their activities in the country.
They are facing nine and five charges respectively, including terrorism, espionage, and influence peddling.
The legal team representing the Angolan defendants say there isn’t sufficient evidence against them and that “the accusation is based on mere conjecture”.