Cabinda - Vice-President Bornito de Sousa on Sunday stressed the need for the country to defend peace and national unity, in order to honour the thousands of young people who fought for a united, indivisible, independent and sovereign Angola.
When speaking at the central act of the celebrations of the 19th anniversary of the Peace and National Reconciliation Day, marked April the 4th, Bornito de Sousa said that Angolans value, more than anyone, the benefits of peace, political and social stability.
The Vice President recalled that almost three decades after the proclamation of National Independence, and after several failed attempts and agreements, April 4, 2002, ended one of the longest fratricidal wars in the world.
The agreement between the Angolan Government and UNITA gave Angola and Angolans a new life opportunity, he said, underlining that one of the great lessons of the process that led to peace is that nothing honourable and worthwhile is achieved without the minimum of effort, commitment and sacrifice.
In the act, Bornito de Sousa discouraged the temptation to privilege the “easy things, the immediacy and the law of the least effort”.
He pointed out as common and legitimate objectives the improvement of the quality of life for families, education, health, public services, the fair distribution of national income, as well as a strong, dynamic, developed and diversified economy.
The Vice-President of the Republic believes that the Executive's projects and programmes will contribute to the well-being, quality of life, rise in human development indexes and the creation of jobs, above all, for the Angolan youth.
He added that some of the projects in progress in the country will have an impact on neighbouring countries and in the central region of Africa, such as the case of the maritime passenger terminal, the ferry dock, the Caio deep water terminal and the construction of the refinery, all in the northe-western Province of Cabinda.
In the central act of April 4th, Bornito Sousa also valued the centenary church of São Tiago Maior of the Catholic mission of Lândana (a city with a population of 15,000, in the municipality of Cacongo, in Cabinda), already classified as National Cultural Heritage.
After acknowledging the constraints imposed by the country's financial situation and the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, he expressed hope in the willpower, determination of young people and entrepreneurs.
He pointed to tourism as one of the potentials of the Province of Cabinda, which has the Maiombe forest, a rich culture and gastronomy, tradition, historical sites and memorable places linked to the national liberation struggle.
"In 2022, we’ll mark 20 years of Peace and National Reconciliation", said the Vice-President, indicating that the year 2022 will also be marked by the General Elections and the Centenary of the birth of the first President of Angola, Agostinho Neto.
This year, the celebrations of the 19 years of the Day of Peace and National Reconciliation are celebrated all over the national territory under the motto "Angola - Peace, National Unity and Democracy".
