A former President of Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Africa’s second-biggest oil producer for nearly four decades, has died.
According to a statement by the Presidency, the 79-year-old died at the Teknon clinic in Barcelona, Spain, where he was being treated following a prolonged illness.
Recall that Santos, who is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, stepped down five years ago. His rule was marked by a civil war lasting nearly three decades against U.S.-backed UNITA rebels, which he won in 2002, and a subsequent oil-fuelled boom.
In a swift reaction, incumbent President, who is Santos’ successor, Joao Lourenco, has declared five days of national mourning and described dos Santos as a “unique figure of the Angolan homeland.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said dos Santos had helped in the fight against white minority rule under apartheid.
In an Instagram post, Dos Santos’ daughter Tchizé dos Santos said “fathers never die because they are the truest love that children know in all their lives. They live forever within us”.
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