Angolans celebrate liberation hero in Rwanda

The embassy of the Republic of Angola on Wednesday, September 16 held an event to celebrate the country’s independence hero and first president, Dr. António Agostinho Neto. Every year, on September 17, Angolans celebrate the Day of the National Hero, honoring the day Neto was born. This year, the embassy held a press brief on the sidelines of a moderate ceremony due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The event was marked partially with recitations of some poems by Agostinho Neto who was a celebrated poet and is considered one of Africas greatest intellectuals of his time. Angolan envoy to Rwanda, Ambassador Eduardo Filomeno Leiro Octavio recounted Netos early life and decades-long struggle for liberation which climaxed in the country’s independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975. Born António Agostinho Neto in 1922 in a village near Luanda, Angola’s capital, Neto appeared on the national scene first as poet in 1949 and joined a national cultural movement comparable to the Negritude of the French-speaking African countries. His first of many arrests for political activities came shortly thereafter in Lisbon, where he had gone to study medicine. Neto returned home as a doctor in 1959 but was arrested a year later because of his militant opposition to the colonial authorities. He was detained for three years. It was during his time in jail that he wrote some of his main poems which later became national anthems. At the end of 1962, Neto was elected president of the Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the nation’s ruling party. For the next 12 years in exile, he directed the armed struggle of MPLA against Portuguese colonial rule. He returned to Angola in February, 1975. At the time, he was a member of the Pan-African Movement with other intellectuals of the time such as Sekou Toure of Guinea, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Gamel El Nassel of Egypt who pushed the movement forward and demanded independence of all African territories. It was on 11th November, 1975 that Angola was declared independent and Dr. António Agostinho Neto was proclaimed president. He served until his death in 1979. Agostinho Neto published three volumes of poetry and his works attracted attention from many literary figures around the world. After its independence, Angola built one of Africas big economies and expanded its diplomatic relations. Ambassador Octavio stressed cooperation ties that bind Angola and Rwanda, particularly the southwestern countrys role in mending Rwanda-Ugandan relations. Angola and Rwanda work together on long-term cooperation. In essence, Angola participates in normalizing relations between Rwanda and Uganda, and it collabates with Rwandan authorities to support and consolidate peace in the Great Lakes region, he said. In 2019, the two countries also inked a security and public order agreement earlier this year. The deal, among other things, facilitates the sharing of technical advice and information in law enforcement, fighting violent crimes, terrorist acts, corruption as well as organized transnational crimes. Among other bilateral relations, Angola in 2018 waived visa requirements for Rwandans, allowing them to enter the countrys territory without visas. The move mirrored Rwandas open visa policy which allows travellers from African Union country members, including Angola, to get visas on arrival. Angola is a Portuguese-speaking nation located in the southwestern Africa. A large country with enormous natural resources, Angola now boasts one of the biggest economies in the Sub-Saharan region. The coastal state felt the Portuguese influence since 1484 when explorer Diogo Cão arrived. Agostinho Neto and other Angolans heroes who fought for the liberation of Angola as well as other heroes who fought against colonialism in other African countries including Rwanda represent what we call the value of African people. They represent a huge victory of the African people, Octavio said.

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Angolans celebrate liberation hero in Rwanda