Foreign Minister (ME) João Gomes Cravinho this Sunday highlighted the role of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, stressing that he knew how to create closeness with Portugal and that the country “owes him a lot.”
The funeral of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos will culminate this Sunday, when he would have turned 80, with a state funeral in the presence of several presidents, including Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and diplomats from several countries.
“(Jose Eduardo dos Santos) knew how to establish with all the democratically elected Portuguese presidents of the republic, thanks to the longevity of his career, relations that ensured closeness between our peoples, and in this sense Portugal also owes him a lot,” Cravinho emphasized, before arriving to Republic Square, where memorial services are held, in Luanda.
For the head of Portuguese diplomacy, this is “a tribute to Angola and the whole world” to José Eduardo dos Santos, who was president for 38 years “in difficult and difficult times.”
“He has shown outstanding leadership at decisive moments for Angola and the African continent and naturally Portugal could not fail to be present at the highest level,” commented João Gomes Cravinho.
The former head of state passed away on July 8 at the age of 79 in Barcelona, Spain, where he has spent most of his time for the past five years, but the funeral will only take place now due to a body custody dispute between two factions of the José Eduardo dos Santos family – a widow and three younger children supported by the Angolan regime against five older children.
Sunday ceremonies are attended by Ana Paula dos Santos and her three common children with the former head of state, as well as another son, José Philomeno dos Santos “Zenu”, sentenced by Angolan justice to imprisonment for participating in a corruption case and is currently awaiting decision on your appeal.
The funeral is also marked by the absence of the media eldest daughters of the former president, businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, against whom several cases have been initiated in Angolan justice and in other countries, and former MPLA MP Chise dos Santos, who has declared her support for UNITA candidate for the presidency of Angola Adalberto da Costa Junior against the MPLA candidate and his father’s successor as president, João Lourenço.
The funeral was attended by the President of UNITA, who arrived at the scene at 09:30, as well as leaders of other opposition parties, Catholic bishops, members of the Angolan executive branch and others.
Republic Square, where the tombstone of the first president of Angola is located, in the António Agostinho Neto memorial, was again chosen for the funeral ceremony after a public commemoration without a body was held shortly after the death of José Eduardo dos Santos. , during seven days of national mourning.
This Sunday there will be military honors in a program that includes lyric music, readings from messages from the Angolan state and family, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the José Eduardo Santos Foundation and a eulogy. and an ecumenical service. accompanied by choirs.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
