The bones of Elias Salupeto Pena were buried on Saturday, in Lopitanga, after a "permission request" from the founding leader of the party Jonas Savimbi.
Elias Salupeto Pena, former head of the UNITA delegation at the Joint Political-Military Commission (CCPM), died in December 1992, in Luanda, following the post-electoral conflict, and his bones were handed over by the Government in November 2021.
On Saturday, his remains were buried in the Lopitanga cemetery, in the municipality of Andulo, province of Bié, where the remains of Jonas Savimbi, his uncle and founding leader of UNITA, as well as other uncles, cousins and other family members also lie.
After the rain in the early hours of Saturday in Andulo, where the funeral ceremonies took place on Friday, the urn left in procession, at 9:30 am local time, towards the cemetery, on a 30-kilometre journey, half of which was made on rough and muddy terrain.
The commune of Lopitanga, which gained national and international visibility for being the place where Jonas Savimbi was buried in June 2019, returned this Saturday to the attention of several people and hundreds of UNITA militants.
In the cemetery, Jonas Savimbi's tomb, which is located in a limited space, is confused with a sanctuary and has the cleanliness and safety guaranteed by UNITA militants in that region.
According to local rituals, it was necessary to request authorization from Jonas Savimbi for the burial of Elias Salupeto Pena, his nephew, which was done as soon as the urn arrived at the entrance to the tomb of the founding leader of UNITA.
The urn with the bones of the former UNITA political leader was placed next to Savimbi's grave for the "necessary greeting to his uncle and request for authorization" for his burial.
The "authorization request" was made by "the eldest Nunes", a local elder, who, in the presence of Salupeto Pena's children, family and friends, militants, UNITA leaders and other guests, did so in the local "umbundu" language.
"Thirty years ago, the bones were far away from you. As always, we came to ask for permission to take us to the downtown area where the grandparents and other family members are", said "the eldest Nunes", as one of the UNITA militants translated to Lusa.
The ritual was considered by those present as "normal and obligatory" in "respect for the memory of old people who have died".
The bones of the former head of the UNITA delegation in the CCPM only went down to the grave after the reading of messages and funeral eulogies, religious ceremony and intervention by his brother, Esteves Isaac Pena "General Kami", who expressed his joy at the moment.
The remains of Adolosi Mango Alicerces, former UNITA secretary general, who died in 1992 in Luanda after the post-electoral conflict, were buried on Friday in Bailundo municipality, Huambo province.
Initial tributes to the deceased took place at the headquarters of the municipal committee of UNITA in Bailundo, south of the country, and the funeral ceremony took place at Clube Recreativo Bailundo, with chants, messages and eulogy.
"Mango Alicerces' name is written in bold letters as one of the great men of our history, one of the best sons of Angola (...). You were an example of heroism, patriotism, hard work and determination", he said in the Friday, the provincial secretary of UNITA in Huambo, Albertina Ngolo.
Before going down to the grave, the bones of the former UNITA leader were veiled at the Evangelical Congregational Church of Angola (IECA), Chilume Mission, in the presence of his children, family, friends and party companions.
His remains were buried in the Chilume Mission Cemetery, in the midst of pain, tears and commotion on the part of those present.
"It is a moment of reflection, of memories, a difficult moment, not only for the family, but also for the party, we are here to guard the memory of a relative of ours, but above all a patriot who left at a time when there was hope for the building a better country", said, at the time, the politician and cousin of the late, Alcides Sakala.
The former president of UNITA, Isaías Samakuva, was also present at this funeral ceremony and considered that the burial of Adolosi Mango Alicerces constitutes a "necessary and human imperative", having also praised the qualities of the former political leader.
Alicerces Paulo Bartolomeu "Ali Mango", son of Adolosi Mango Alicerces, expressed a feeling of satisfaction after the urn went down to the grave, recalling that this moment had been awaited by family members for 30 years.
"Satisfaction because the father will be in peace, next to his, we will also be rested because that anxiety of knowing where he is now is guarded because we finally managed to pay the simple tribute to the father, citizen, patriot who died at the age of 39", he said.
The Government of Angola handed over the remains of Elias Salupeto Pena and Adolosi Mango Alicerces, former Secretary General of UNITA, in November 2021, through the Interministerial Commission for the Memory of Victims of Armed Conflicts in Angola, created by the President, John Lawrence.
