Africa-Press – Angola. Opposition political party leaders in the province of Cunene stated, on Saturday (20), in the municipality of Ondjiva, that the process of exhuming the remains of armed conflict victims and returning them to their families is a sound initiative for true national reconciliation.
Miguel Ndapewovano, the provincial secretary of the Social Renewal Party (PRS), said that the success of this program depends on all Angolans choosing forgiveness, unity, and reconciliation, regardless of their individual ideological and political differences.
According to the politician, the Commission for Reconciliation in Memory of Victims of Political Conflicts (CIVICOP) is a welcome initiative at a time when many families in the country are seeking information on citizens who died but were never given a dignified burial.
“Many families only know that their loved ones have disappeared and are likely deceased which is why it is crucial to locate the remains, hold a dignified funeral, and ensure a proper burial site,” he emphasized.
Miguel Ndapewovano also highlighted the profound significance of the process’s motto, “Embrace and Forgive”, noting these as essential concepts for moving past the past and ensuring genuine forgiveness.
He explained that the conflict era involved painful events that should be left in the past without assigning blame in order to build a new era of forgiveness, unity, and progress.
The politician called upon military forces and the general public to cooperate in this process by providing information on missing persons and potential locations, enabling families to bring a painful cycle of uncertainty to a close.
For Bonifácio Hinasiço, secretary of the PRA-JA party, the initiative represents a commitment by the head of the Executive branch as well as an acknowledgment regarding the value of unity and reconciliation in fostering the peace currently enjoyed by the country.
He described the effort as praiseworthy, noting that it should be viewed as the mark of a leader who genuinely cares about the Angolan people and the nation as a whole.
“This is a sound and well-conceived program designed to foster a true embrace and forgiveness, paving the way for national reconciliation among Angolan brothers and sisters,” he emphasized.
Hinasiço explained that the “Bridge Builders” program implemented by PRA-JA Servir Angola is premised on the idea of mutual forgiveness among all Angolans, allowing the nation to move forward toward harmony, growth, and development.
The initiative sought to honor the memory of victims of the armed political conflicts that took place between 1975 and 2002, a period for which President João Lourenço declared a national day of mourning on May 22.
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