Angola celebrates this Tuesday the 21st anniversary of peace and national reconciliation, a national holiday in the country, and, to mark the date, João Lourenço, accompanied by his wife and figures from his executive and political parties, surrendered this Tuesday tribute to José Eduardo dos Santos, considered the "architect of peace".
After fulfilling his military honours, the head of state, who replaced José Eduardo dos Santos in 2017, laid a wreath next to the tomb where the remains of José Eduardo dos Santos, who led Angola between 1979 and 2017 and died in Spain, victim of illness, on July 8, 2022.
The vice-president of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Luísa Damião, was also present this Tuesday at the ceremony honoring José Eduardo dos Santos, considering it a well-deserved act for the "architect of peace".
"Angolans must continue to preserve this precious asset that promotes development, therefore every Angolan must be a promoter of peace, a promoter of development", she said.
Florbela Malaquias, deputy of the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA), considered, on the other hand, "fair" the homage to the former Angolan president.
"When I look at the country, I feel some joy that we are at peace, but that we need other peaces, which are social peace, economic peace, spiritual peace", she pointed out.
João Lourenço, elected President in 2017, following legislative elections, is serving his second presidential term, with the fight against corruption, nepotism and embezzlement as some of the axes of his governance.
Relations between João Lourenço and José Eduardo dos Santos have always been a source of controversy, within political parties and civil society, namely when the head of state decided to start the fight against corruption, resulting in several lawsuits against family members. of the former president or his former collaborators.
Daughters of José Eduardo dos Santos, particularly Isabel dos Santos and Welwítschia "Tchizé" dos Santos, and some currents in Angolan society say it was a "selective justice", rejected, however, by João Lourenço.
José Eduardo dos Santos, who led Angola for 38 years, was buried in Luanda on August 28, 2022, following more than a month of family dispute in the Family Court of the Civil Court of Catalonia over who would have custody of the your body.
On one side was Tchizé dos Santos and her older brothers, who were against handing over the remains of the former first lady and against holding a state funeral before the August 24 elections, and on the other, Ana Paula dos Santos Santos and his three children in common with José Eduardo dos Santos.
The Civil Court of Catalonia decided, however, to assign the corpse to the widow and authorized its transfer to Angola, after definitively concluding that José Eduardo dos Santos died of natural causes.
The celebrations of the 4th of April, Day of Peace and National Reconciliation, take place throughout Angola, whose central event takes place in Namibe province and is being guided by the Minister of State for Social Affairs, Dalva Ringote.
João Lourenço also decorated this Tuesday, in Luanda, several personalities, civil and military, with the award of Peace and Concord, Order of Civil Merit, Order of Freedom Fighters, Order of Military Merit, Order of Police Merit, Order of Independence and others.
