ANGOLA will sell 49% of its shares in the commerical branch of the national oil company Sonangol – the first time private investors are allowed to buy shares in Sonangol, which has been entirely state-owned since the company was created in 1976. Sonangol coordinates oil exploration and drilling by foreign companies within Angola, and its commercial division distributes petrol and jet fuel within the country. Only the commercial division is affected by the privatisation plan, which the government statement said would take place over the medium to long term without providing dates. – AFP