The Portuguese head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, today confirmed his presence at the funeral ceremonies of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos
“As duly announced, the President of the Republic will be present at the funeral of former President José Eduardo dos Santos,” reads a note posted on the website of the Presidency of the Republic.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, the note from Belém also states.
José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola from 1979 to 2017, died on July 8 at the age of 79 in Barcelona, Spain, where he spent most of his time over the past five years. The body of the former Angolan president arrived in Luanda on Saturday from Barcelona on a flight of the Angolan airline TAAG, after a dispute between two factions of the family over the custody of the body.
Read also: Catalonia Court hands over José Eduardo dos Santos’ body to his wife
Funeral ceremonies are due to take place on August 28 in Luanda, according to the spokesman for the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Rui Falcão.
