José Eduardo dos Santos´ funeral ceremony starts

 Luanda - The funeral of the former President of the Republic José Eduardo dos Santos started at 11:10 am of Sunday (28) at Luanda’s Republic Square.

Attended by the Angolan President of Republic João Lourenço and the other heads of State, the funeral ceremony features, among others activities, reading of messages from the Angolan state,  the family, the MPLA and the Eduardo dos Santos Foundation (FESA).

 

The ceremony also includes the funeral eulogy and an ecumenical service as well as music by two choral groups from the Catholic and Methodist churches.

 

The funeral ceremony ends with placing of the casket containing the body in a grave, located in  in the Republic Square, in Luanda.

 

Among the statesmen, who attended the ceremony,  stress goes to the heads of State of Portugal and South Africa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Cyril Ramaphosa, respectively.

 

Also witnessing the ceremony are the Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi,  Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso, Mozambique Filipe Nyusi,  Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoko Embaló,  Cabo Verde José Maria Pereira das Neves,  São Tomé and Príncipe Carlos Vila Nova, and Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

Tanzania is being represented by the former President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Cuba by the Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruíz, and Saudi Arabia by the Minister of Territorial Administration Sidi Brahim Salem.

 

Also paying tribute to Dos Santos, former president of São Tomé and Príncipe Manuel Pinto da Costa, and the current Prime Minister Jorge Lopes Bom Jesus.

 

The United Nations is represented by the resident coordinator in Angola, Zahira Virani.

 

Rwanda is represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Vincent Biruta, while Equatorial Guinea is represented by the Deputy Prime Minister Clemente Engonga Nguema Onguene.

 

On Saturday, the coffin containing José Eduardo dos Santos' remains traveled through various points of the capital, during the procession, the scene was one of sadness, commotion, tears, and applause.

 

José Eduardo dos Santos died at 79 years old on July 8 in Barcelona, Spain, victim of illness.

 

The former President of the Republic took office in September 1979, following the death of António Agostinho Neto, the first President of Angola, and was in office for 38 years, until he was succeeded by João Lourenço in 2017.