Luanda - The Vice President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa, honoured this Friday, in São Tomé city, Angolans and São Toméans who fought for the dignity and freedom of the two peoples.
The Vice President Bornito de Sousa paid a tribute this Friday afternoon by laying a wreath of flowers on the statue of King Amador, an anti-slavery and anti-colonialism SãoTomean leader.
VP told journalists that with "this brief ceremony of laying a wreath on the statue of King Amador, we wanted to pay a simple tribute to the Angolans and São Tomeans who fought for the dignity, memory, honour and freedom of both peoples".
He recalled that there is a close relationship between the people of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. He pointed out as an example the popular group from São Tomé "Os Angolares", which is of Angolan origin.
Bornito de Sousa underlined the fact that the history of the two peoples is linked by two important moments. The first is slavery and the second was the trip to São Tomé and Príncipe of Angolan contractors.
Amador of Angolares
Amador Vieira, also called King Amador or Amador dos Angolares (1550-1596) was responsible for the biggest uprising against Portuguese rule on the island of São Tomé, before the process of national independence of São Tomé and Príncipe.
He became king of the first independent national entity on the island of São Tomé, the Kingdom of Angolares, also declaring himself "war captain" of the Angolan armies, which numbered about 5,000 men, more than half of those enslaved in the island at that time.
The Vice President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa, arrived this Friday morning in São Tomé and Príncipe, where, on behalf of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, witnessed Saturday the inauguration ceremony of the elected President of that country.
The inauguration ceremony of the new President of São Tomé and Príncipe is taking place at the National Assembly of São Tomé, in the presence of different figures from that country, representatives of the State and Government of several countries.
Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe formalized cooperation in February 1978, through the General Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation, and the Joint Bilateral Commission created in January 1980.
