The proposal was presented last week at the meeting of the Commission for Reconciliation in Memory of Victims of Political Conflicts (CIVICOP), when a balance was made of 2020, and contributes, according to João Saraiva de Carvalho, himself an orphan of the 27th of May, to putting an end to the silence
"We think that this apology on behalf of the nation is very important, as it has been in other cases, and should be made by the highest figure in the state and the party. How can almost 44 years of silence be justified?" he questioned, pointing out that this is "basic justice.
May 27 refers to the bloody events that took place, in 1977, after an alleged failed coup against António Agostinho Neto, the first Angolan President, which resulted in thousands of deaths during the fight against the so-called "fractionism" within the MPLA, according to survivors and analysts.
"I believe that inside the party there are people who do not agree with this [the silence]. It seems that nothing is going on," he stressed, stressing that the victims deserve answers and have the right to know what happened.
Underlining the message of "unity" and "single voice" of the Platform 27 de Maio, which brings together three organizations of relatives of the victims of the 1977 repression in the country, João Saraiva de Carvalho pointed out that survivors, who were beaten and tortured, but also orphans such as his case, son of the military man Gilberto Saraiva de Carvalho or that of João Van-Dunem, son of Sita Vales and José Van-Dunem, former members of the MPLA Central Committee.
"Nobody tells me anything (about the death of his father, who disappeared in Moxico). I've heard many stories, but what I really want to know is the official story, because there is nothing official about what happened. We are very focused on that, we want to know what happened, where the bodies are, answers that allow us to do the funerals and the mourning. That's enough, we're tired," he said.
In spite of everything, he made a positive assessment of the work carried out by CIVICOP in 2020, for having brought the issue to the political agenda, but he considered that it is necessary to go further, especially with regard to death certificates.
Francisco Queiroz, CIVICOP coordinator and Minister of Justice and Human Rights, informed last Friday during the 11th meeting of the body that 14 requests for death certificates have been received by the commission so far.
Francisco Queiroz pointed out, at the time, that although it is a commission to attend all political conflicts that have occurred in the country since November 11, 1975 to April 4, 2002, the process of the events of May 27 has been more prominent and absorbs "almost all the work of this commission".
For João Saraiva de Carvalho, the number of certificates requested is very small compared to the victims of political conflicts.
"In the May 27 process alone, the numbers point to 30,000, it's strange that only 14 requests appear," he said, pointing out that the victims of this process claim more than one administrative certificate
"We don't accept an administrative death certificate, we want to know what happened, how it happened and when," he said, assuring us: "this time, we won't stop.
Among the proposals presented to CIVICOP are the constitution of a Commission/Subcommittee of the Scientific Technical Group, specific for the process of the "27th of May 1977", the identification of those responsible for forced disappearances, who "should not be considered victims" and define as a central task of the Commission of Verification and Certification of Deaths, the location of remains, exhumation, recognition of victims, by DNA test, confirmation of cause of death and issuance of death certificates.
