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 Press News Agency Angola Press News Agency The Angola Press News Agency or Angola Press Agency (ANGOP; ) is the official news agency of Angola, based in Luanda. Founded in 1975, it was a former close ally of the now-defunct Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union. It is part of the . ANGOP was founded in April 1975 under the name "Agência Nacional Angola Press" (ANAP) and later renamed "Agência Angola Press" when Angola gained independence, by order dated October 30, 1975, promulgated by then president Agostinho Neto and enjoyed autonomy and editorial independence under Presidential Decree No. 9/75 of 15 September 1975.