Associação de Escuteiros de Angola the Southern Zone of the Africa Region. Although Scouting is growing, the country is plagued by years of civil war and political unrest, and this is hindering development, especially in rural areas. Angolan Scouting was widespread in the colonial years, working closely with Portugal's Catholic Corpo Nacional de Escutas. When Angola gained its independence in 1975 and came under Marxist rule, Scouting was banned by that government. Scouting was officially started again in February 1991. In 1994, the interreligious "Associação Nacional de Escuteiros" and the Catholic "Associação de Escuteiros Católicos de Angola" merged forming the AEA. Today, Scouting includes an
Angola–Serbia relations and joint cooperation continued through the Breakup of Yugoslavia, and Angola has expressed its strong support for Serbia on the issue of Kosovo. The Defence minister of Serbia, Dragan Šutanovac, stated in 2011 meeting in Luanda that Serbia is negotiating with the Angolan military authorities for the construction of a new military hospital in the Angola. Angola–Serbia relations Angola–Serbia relations are foreign relations between Angola and Serbia. Both countries maintain diplomatic relations established between Angola and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1975, following Angola's independence. Angola has an embassy in Belgrade, with ambassador Toko Diakenga Serao, and Serbia has