Africa-Press – Angola. The head of the Military Intelligence and Security Service, general João Pereira Massano, said this Monday that since the beginning of the armed struggle for Angola’s independence, in February 1961, history has recorded many reference facts, which praise the field of Angolan social memory.
For the military official, who was speaking in an interview, the political process in Angola was marked by several historical moments, some of which shaped, in an indelible way, the social, political, economic and even personal life of citizens.
One of these moments, according to General João Massano, was the founding of the former Popular Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA), which took place on August 1, 1974, in the Luiameji chanas, Moxico province, considered one of the largest Armies in Africa, both for their fighting capacity and organization.
“Time marks next Tuesday (August 1) 49 years since the proclamation of FAPLA, by former President Agostinho Neto, a historic fact that cannot be erased, as it (History) assumes itself in its entirety”, he expressed.
The general highlighted that the contribution in the struggle for peace between 1975 and 2002, and the bravery shown by the men and women who took part in it, was only possible thanks to tactical determination, discipline, dedication and a high sense of patriotism.
For this reason, he considers that, “these days, the legacy of FAPLA must be maintained and reflected in the grandeur of the current Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), in its discipline, bravery, but also in moral and political training”, stressed the general. João Massano, who praised the merit earned by the staff of this military institution.
In this sense, he argued that it is everyone’s duty to work so that the historical achievements of FAPLA are always praised, as it was an army that shaped the history of Angola throughout its existence.
With that, the military leader noted that the legacy of the former FAPLA must be reinforced in civic, ethical and patriotic education, so that young people know the country’s history and contribute with their knowledge so that Angola continues to tread, safely , the ways of peace.
Creation of the unique army
At the time of the armed conflict in Angola, the extinct FAPLA, government forces, and the former military forces of UNITA, at the time, after signing the peace agreements in 1991, merged, giving rise to the formation of a single army, currently Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).
Hence, the institutionalization of the FAA, the successor of the FAPLA, materialized in the materialization of the precepts of the Bicesse Accords (Portugal).
For the general officer, since its creation, on October 9, 1991, until tuesday, the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) are the symbol of national unity of the Republic of Angola.
Stresses that, after more than three decades, the FAA are now also a reason for national pride and embody, in essence, the highest values of patriotism and citizenship.
He emphasizes that the most obvious benefit for the country, when constituting its Armed Forces, is the guarantee of the defense of the inviolability of its territory, acting as a persuasion factor against possible risks of internal and external threats.
For this reason, the FAA are an instrument of the State’s foreign policy, and can be used whenever the national interest is threatened and in peacekeeping missions, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic and in the light of the international and regional treaties that the country took over or come to take over.
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