Oil-rich Angola, which is eager to increase its visibility in the U.S., is using Collins Anderson Philp, a Republican PA/government relations shop, to run a reputation management and branding campaign for the southwestern African state of 19.6M people.

Angola, according to the CIA Fact Book, has been rebuilding its infrastructure since the 2002 end of a 27-year civil war that killed 1.4M people and displaced another 4M.

CAP is doing its work via through two entities called Progressive Angola and Progress for Angola, which are bankrolled by Angola’s national energy company Sonangol SA to the tune of $1.2M for a year with the option for a renewable 12 month period. Both are registered as Virginia-based 501 (c) (4) organizations.

CAP is in line for a fee of $520,750 from each group to be paid in quarterly installments of $130,187. The effort began Feb. 2.

CAP partner James Anderson serves as primary spokesperson for PA and PfA and is in charge of devising and implementing a PR program. He also oversees PA’s vendors, consultants and fundraising activity.

At CAP, Anderson, a former executive director of Iowa’s Republican party, is joined by Gentry Collins, ex-national political director of the Republican National Committee, and Alan Philp, a regional political director of the Romney for President campaign of 2007 and 2008.