Angola’s former President José Eduardo dos Santos dies at 79

Former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos died on Friday in a Barcelona clinic following a protracted sickness.

Angolan President and MPLA chief Jose Eduardo dos Santos attends a celebration central committee at a gathering in Luanda, Angola (Photo: Reuters)

Angola’s former president José Eduardo dos Santos, who dominated Africa’s second greatest oil producer for practically 4 many years, has died aged 79, the Angolan presidency mentioned on Facebook on Friday.

The former president died at 11:10 am Spanish time on the Barcelona Teknon clinic following a protracted sickness, the presidency mentioned.

A spokesperson for the Barcelona Teknon clinic the place he was being handled declined to remark.

Dos Santos had been receiving medical therapy since 2019.

Portuguese information company Lusa reported final month that the previous president was admitted to an intensive care unit at a clinic in Barcelona.

One of Africa’s longest serving leaders, dos Santos, stepped down 5 years in the past. His rule was marked by a brutal civil struggle lasting practically three many years towards US-backed UNITA rebels – which he received in 2002 – and a subsequent oil-fuelled growth.

He was changed in 2017 by President Joao Lourenco, who, regardless of being from the incumbent’s People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), swiftly moved to probe allegations of multi-billion greenback corruption through the dos Santos period, focusing on the previous chief’s kids.

READ | Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies after being shot

— ENDS —