Luanda – The President of Tanzania Suluhu Hassan and the President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel paid homage Wednesday to the former Angolan Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, who died on Friday in Barcelona, due to illness.
The Tanzanian and Cuban presidents went to the Angolan embassies in their respective countries where condolence books are open in memory of the former Angolan Head of State.
Meanwhile, the Uruguay President, Luís Alberto Lacalle Herrera, on Tuesday expressed his deepest regrets by sending a message of condolences to the ambassador of Angola to that South American country, Fidelino Peliganga, during the accreditation ceremony of the Angolan diplomat.
José Eduardo dos Santos came to power in September 1979, following the death of the first President of Angola, António Agostinho Neto.
He served as President of the Republic for 38 years, until September 2017, when he was succeeded by the current Head of State, João Lourenço.
In addition to being President of the Republic, he was Commander-in-Chief of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and President of the MPLA, the party that has governed the country since the proclamation of national independence on 11 November 1975.
President Dos Santos’ political record also includes the position of minister of Foreign Affairs, and other functions in the State and in the MPLA. He led the process that culminated in the signing of the Peace Accords on 4 April 2002, after the demise of the founder of UNITA, Jonas Savimbi.
