Namibia’s founding president, Dr Sam Nujoma, has paid tribute to former Angolan president, José Eduardo dos Santos, who died last week.

In his tribute, Nujoma recalled the last time he met the late Dos Santos in October 2021, at his residence in the Miramar district of Luanda, when he returned to Angola from Spain, where he was hospitalised since April 2019.

“On that occasion, we had a fruitful exchange of views and recalled the historical ties of friendship and solidarity between the two countries and peoples. He told me that he was going back to Barcelona for further medical treatment, until I heard the sad news that he passed away on Friday in Spain,” he narrated.

Nujoma described Dos Santos’ death as a moment of great sadness that is felt across the region and the entire African continent.

“As Namibians, we will forever regard Angola as our home away from home. During the darkest moments in our struggle against apartheid, it was Angola that gave us shelter, sustenance and support. During the decades of our own struggle, Angola’s liberation movement of MPLA, under the late president, Dr Agostinho Neto, supported our own liberation movement of Swapo to fight against the apartheid regime of South Africa,” he added.

Nujoma further remembered the major role Dos Santos played in favour of Angola’s independence, and his commitment to the promotion of peace and democracy in the country through negotiations with opposition movements designed to put a definite end to the civil war.

“As we lay our dear brother to rest, we should resolve to pursue his vision to build an Africa of peace, justice, progress and prosperity for all our people on the continent and those in the diaspora,” Nujoma said.

Dos Santos died on Friday in a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, where he was hospitalised for a month after suffering a heart attack.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency