Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of National Defense and Homeland Veterans said yesterday that the celebrations of the 34th anniversary of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale and the fourth of the Liberation of Southern Africa, should serve as an inspiration for the population and youth, in particular, in the preservation of peace. and the achievements made in SADC, achieved at the cost of a lot of blood and sweat.
João Ernesto dos Santos “Liberdade”, who presided over the central event of the event, pointed to the 4th of April, the Day of Peace and National Reconciliation, the holding of elections next August, the 17th of September, the date of the Founder of the Nation and the National Independence festivities, as the main celebrations of which Angolans should be proud.
He added that Angolans should mobilize to participate with patriotism and enthusiasm in the events, with a feeling of love for others, civic and patriotic sense so that the heroes, nationalists, former combatants and the population that, from the 4th of February until to the signing of the peace accords have always suffered from the consequences of the war and can feel honoured.
The minister said that the events of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale must be permanently transmitted to Angolan and African youth, so that they know the reasons why the fighters sacrificed so much and shed blood and sweat to defend the people from the invasion perpetrated by the regime’s army. of Apartheid.
“It is necessary that future generations be proud of our narratives and be able to reflect on them, with pride in the fact that the performance has been a valuable contribution in the process of conquest and preservation of Angola’s independence, freedom, peace and national reconciliation, for democracies parties in force in southern African countries”, he said.
He mentioned the Triângulo do Tumpo, in the town of Samaria, where the biggest confrontations took place between the FAPLA, supported by the Revolutionary Forces of Cuba and the SADF, designation of the South African army, aided by thousands of Unita guerrillas, as an essential element of study, due to the historical dimension that had in the outcome, identified as the biggest military dispute ever seen in Africa, after the Second World War.
He reiterated that, for this reason, Angolan youth are, once again, called to reflect on wars as “phenomena that must be avoided, because when we remember that we could have avoided them, due to the consequences of the loss of human lives and the destruction of the infrastructure that all this entails and the cost of hundreds of millions of kwanzas that could be invested in improving the population’s way of life”.
“The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was life or death, as it aimed to stop the advance of Apartheid forces that intended to expand and perpetuate the reign in South Africa and Namibia, with influence in all the States of the Southern region”, said the minister. of National Defense and Veterans of the Fatherland.
Education system
The governor of Cuando Cubango province, José Martins, defended the need to introduce the history of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, in the Education System in Angola so that the new generations know the path of the “brave heroes in their contribution to peace in the country and across the SADC region”.
He considered it important that all Angolans, especially young people, know this story and understand how much it cost to achieve freedom and democracy.
José Martins said that the consecration of the 23rd of March, as the date of the Liberation of Southern Africa, offers the Angolan people, in particular that of Cuando Cubango, reasons to be very proud, as the benefits achieved do not only serve Angola or the province, but , yes, for all of Southern Africa.
He said that the desire to hold lectures, conferences and interest cycles on the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale must be a permanent action, in the sense of enabling and raising the level of knowledge and the effectiveness of the human intellect, guaranteeing the framing of young people and adults in the political, economic and social life of the country and southern Africa.
“Thus, we must fight for the strengthening of national unity for the construction of a more just and solidary society, fighting all tendencies that seek to divide Angolans on the basis of prejudice, such as tribalism, racism or regionalism, attitudes that only weaken us and delay the country’s progress”, observed Governor José Martins.
greater dignity
The president of the Forum of Combatants of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (FOCOBACC), Lieutenant General António Valeriano, said that the time has come to take legislative measures that allow the recognition of the association as a public utility institution with patrimonial and financial autonomy.
He also defended the need to institutionalize the title of Hero of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale by means of a legal diploma, approved by the National Assembly, and to reform soldiers and officers duly recognized by personnel and cadres for access to the FAA Social Security Fund.
He added that the establishment of partnerships between FOCOBACC and similar associations in Southern Africa should be supported with its own institutional measures. In terms of infrastructure, he defended the need to have its own facilities to guarantee the normal functioning of the different administrative areas of the national headquarters and of the association’s provincial representations.
He stressed that in the field of social assistance, it is necessary to define policies that allow the prioritization of the children of FOCOBACC members in access to education in military education establishments, guaranteeing medical and drug assistance to members and families in FAA hospital units.
“The focus continues to be on valuing the protagonists of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, through actions that contribute to the promotion and encouragement of corporate associations and economic and social integrity, fundamentally in the Agricultural sector, including the dozens of widows and children of fallen heroes ”, he concluded.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
