Former Angolan President José Eduardo Dos Santos Dies At 79
Angola’s former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos has died, aged 79.
Dos Santos, who ruled Angola for 38 years died at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, the government said Friday.
He was hospitalised after suffering a cardiac arrest last month and had been on life support.
Dos Santos passed away at 11.10 am (1010 GMT) Friday, the government said in a statement.
He ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years but failed to maintain his influence over State institutions after he left power in May 2017.
Dos Santos’ daughter Isabel, faces a slew of corruption investigations in Angola while reports indicate that his son, Filomeno has also been in prison since 2019, also for corruption.
When José Eduardo dos Santos came to power in 1979, Angola had been experiencing civil war for four years after regaining independence from Portugal.
About 500 000 people were killed in 27 years of war which drew the USSR which supported the government and the South African apartheid regime and the United States who supported Jonas Savimbi.
