Africa-Press – Angola. Press’s political news last week was marked by intense activity of a presidential nature, highlighting, among others, the recognition of João Lourenço’s contribution to maintaining peace in the southern continent and the inauguration of infrastructure in the different domains of the country’s life.
In the last seven days, the Head of State inaugurated the General Hospital of Bengo, the first phase of the centrality of that province, called Teresa Afonso Gomes, and the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN), in the country’s capital, infrastructures that provide more jobs for Angolans, especially youth.
Located in the city of Caxito, the center has, in the first phase, 80 buildings and 486 homes, health posts, police, shops and a primary school with 24 rooms, while the “Reverendo Guilherme Inglés” hospital unit, located in The Bucula location, in an area of 15,900 square meters, has capacity for 200 beds, 15 clinical areas distributed in 24 blocks, six residences for professionals and a hemodialysis center.
The new airport, located in the urban district of Bom Jesus, municipality of Icolo and Bengo, province of Luanda, comes into operation in phases, with the 1st reserved for cargo services, until February 2024.
The airport infrastructure occupies an area of 1,324 hectares, has capacity for 15 million passengers and a cargo volume of 130 thousand tons per year.
Its 2nd phase begins in February 2024, with domestic flight operations, and the last stage, scheduled for next June, will be marked by the start of international flight operations.
However, the Angolan President’s contribution to maintaining peace and security in the southern region of Africa was praised, in Dakar, during a meeting between the Angolan ambassador to Senegal, Adão Pinto, and his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC ), Christophe Muzungu, who praised João Lourenço’s efforts for his commitment and commitment to achieving peace in eastern DRC.
Still in the diplomatic chapter, a message from the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, was delivered, during the week, in New York (USA), to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, by the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António .
The content of the missive was not revealed, but it is presumed to be related to international peace and security issues, including the situation in the Great Lakes region, with a focus on instability in eastern DRC.
The situation in this area of Congolese territory, it is recalled, was recently analyzed, in Luanda, at an extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), convened by the Angolan statesman, in his capacity as president in exercise of this regional organization in Africa.
On the occasion, minister Téte António gave the UN SG an overview of the decisions taken from the last Extraordinary SADC Summit, held in the Angolan capital, which addressed security and humanitarian issues, which have deteriorated in the DRC, due to the resumption of attacks and occupation of territory by the M23.
Likewise, in the last seven days, information has echoed that the North American President, Joe Biden, raised the possibility of meeting with his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, without, however, advancing any date for the holding the meeting.
“I don’t know when, but I’m sure I’ll meet him,” said Joe Biden, who was answering a question from the Angola Public Television correspondent.
The agency’s news also focused attention, last week, on matters linked to the 48th anniversary of National Independence, marked this Saturday (11 November), with the celebration of various activities, especially of a political nature, including the laying of wreaths at the monument of the unknown soldier, raising of the flag and others.
The central event took place in the province of Lunda Sul, under the motto “United for the development of Angola”, guided by the Minister of State and Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, who stated that independence constitutes the achievement of a dream of freedom, hope, national unity, progress and social justice for Angolans.
For his part, Francisco Furtado, Minister of State and Head of the Military House of the President of the Republic, who guided the provincial event in Luanda, considered that the country continues to move towards progress, after achieving National Independence, on 11 November 1975.
The minister also expressed concern about negative situations linked, among others, to acts of destruction of energy towers on the transmission lines from Cambambe, in the province of Cuanza Norte, to the Viana substation, in Luanda, which considers “directed sabotage actions that must fall within the scope of terrorism”.
In this sense, he stressed, the National Security and Defense Forces “will carry out a fierce fight to neutralize groups that, in their opinion, have an invisible hand and are creating situations for instability, in order to make the country’s development unfeasible”.
During the period in question, the conference of parliamentary leaders, guided by the president of the House of Laws, Carolina Cerqueira, was also highlighted, which defined for the next plenary meeting, on the 14th, the discussion and vote on the General State Budget Proposal. (OGE) for the 2024 financial year.
The Proposal that changes the Value Added Tax Code (VAT) on food products from 14 to 7 percent will go to the final global vote at the Ordinary Plenary Meeting of the NA, next Wednesday (15th).
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