Africa

Funeral for Angola ex-president amid family row

Angola held a state funeral for ex-president José Eduardo dos Santos in the capital Luanda after his death in Spain in July.

Several African leaders and Portugal’s president were in attendance.

His death sparked a political row after his daughter, Tchizé dos Santos, opposed holding the funeral in Angola.

Mr dos Santos, a veteran of the independence war, was a dominant figure in Angolan political history having ruled the country for 38 years.

However, his legacy has been soiled by allegations of high levels of corruption and human rights violations while he was in power.

Aside from the political class and foreign leaders, Angolan citizens outside the funeral have been paying tribute to Mr Dos Santos, with some wearing t-shirts with his face on them.

“He was a great example for the people who did a lot for us,” Adilson Quaresma told the BBC.

His funeral comes just days after national elections, with the governing party, the MPLA, expected to return to power. However, the opposition, Unita, has rejected the preliminary results from the National Electoral Commission.

Due to the presence of foreign leaders at the funeral, on what would have been Mr Dos Santos’ 80th birthday, authorities have asked local people not to protest amid tensions over the expected election result. -BBC

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