Isaías Samakuva was speaking to the press at the end of a round table promoted by FJMS, the founding leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) on "The Role of the Three Liberation Movements in the Struggle for the Conquest of Angola's Independence".
Participating in the fight for Angola's independence were the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), whose representative was absent due to agenda imperatives, the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), represented by Carlinhos Zassala, former leader, and the UNITA.
“I say that we now have almost 50 years of independence and what we have is not what we wanted. Firstly, I think it’s not worth looking for the culprits, I usually say that we are all guilty on this journey, we are all victims too”, he said.
For Isaías Samakuva, in reflecting on 50 years of independence it is necessary to “draw conclusions and now embark on a new path”.
“All Angolans have an opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and actually draw conclusions as to whether the path we have embarked on and are following is the most appropriate or whether we need to change,” he said.
The politician highlighted that “if Angolans disagree on many things, there is one thing they agree on: November 11th everyone recognizes as the country's independence day”.
“I think that in this aspect there is no difference, we all celebrated – even in the woods during the war on the 11th we stopped – it is national independence day”, he highlighted.
Isaías Samakuva considered the role of the three liberation movements to be fundamental for Angola's independence, highlighting the contribution of anonymous citizens, whose names do not appear in Angolan history.
According to the former president of UNITA, the three movements “brought together in their movements a large part of Angolans eager to see the country free, and developed a more organized, more structured activity with greater results”.
However, there are many anonymous people who participated in the fight for the country's independence “selflessly”, added Isaías Samakuva.
“I know people who worked hard, committed themselves to the process of liberating the country, but they did it selflessly and without needing to align themselves [with the movements]”, he said, citing several names “of people who sacrificed themselves”.
Isaías Samakuva stressed that this round table aimed to clarify the achievements of Jonas Savimbi, as well as other Angolan personalities who worked for the country's aggrandizement.
Carlinhos Zassala agreed that it is necessary to publicize the participation of many figures who participated in the liberation struggle, who are unknown, citing the case of Canon Manuel das Neves, son of a Portuguese man and an Angolan woman, for his role in Angola's independence.
“In my opinion, we should recognize all those who sacrificed their lives. The current airport that we call 4 de Fevereiro should be called Cônego Manuel das Neves airport”, he argued.
