Africa-Press – Angola. The decision to transfer the body of the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, from Barcelona to Luanda, continues to await a judicial decision, whose sentence may be known in the coming days.
The case is in the Family Court of the Civil Court of Catalonia, which will decide which of the family members should be left with the body of the former President of the Republic, whether it is with the former First Lady of the Republic, Ana Paula dos Santos, and his children, or with the children’s wing led by Tchizé dos Santos, who brought the case before that court.
A source consulted reports that the case in court has progressed by around 70 percent, hence our prediction that the sentence may be known in the coming days.
The Minister of State and head of the Military House of the President of the Republic, General Francisco Furtado, who leads the delegation representing the Angolan State, regretted the fact that the situation had reached this point. “What I feel is that we should not reach this moment that we are experiencing, with the imposition of one or two daughters, directly in an attempt to prevent the remains of the former President of the Republic, Eng. be transferred to Angola”, he stressed.
Francisco Furtado recalled that the meeting with the family, held last Saturday (9th of July), in Barcelona, especially with the eldest, Isabel dos Santos and José Paulino dos Santos, who participated in the meeting by audio call, expressed the will of this the last part of wanting to see his father buried in Luanda, but in conditions that referred to the intention of using the body for other purposes.
“This led us to clarify them that they should not use their father’s body as a bargaining chip to achieve any objective other than what conforms to family and nation feelings”, he said.
The meeting, headed by the former First Lady of the Republic, Ana Paula dos Santos, was attended by six of the eight children of the former President of the Republic, four in person and two by audio call.
Other family members present in Barcelona were also physically present at this meeting, especially Marta dos Santos, sister of the former President. These family members were also in favor of moving the body to Luanda, so that the statesman could have a dignified funeral. Tchizé and Zenu dos Santos were absent from the meeting, the latter of which is in Angola.
At the meeting, which was attended by Francisco Furtado, the guarantee of the Angolan State was presented, which provided for the transfer of the mortal remains to the country together with all his family present in Barcelona, in conditions of security and for a stay, until after the funeral, that they found convenient.
In view of the inconclusive outcome of the meeting, the Minister of State and head of the Military House of the President of the Republic clarified that the Angolan delegation he leads, in Barcelona, started to maintain “only” contact with the judicial entities, through the contracted law firm. to defend the cause and support the family of former President José Eduardo dos Santos (the former First Lady of the Republic and other children), who were initially unsupported.
“There was, in fact, on the part of the two daughters, a greater capacity and even psychological pressure on the wife and other children”, he revealed.
President Is Aware Of Everything
Francisco Furtado said that the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, is aware of what is happening in Barcelona and has, therefore, guided the delegation highlighted in this Spanish city to maintain serenity and treat, with all respect and sense of State, the issue with the judicial authorities.
It should be remembered that the provisional results of the first complaint filed by his daughter Tchizé dos Santos with the Criminal Court of the Catalonia Court, to determine an alleged cause of death, which is not natural, ruled out any possibility of mistreatment or poisoning of the former President. of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos.
Daughters of José Eduardo dos Santos
Executive appeals to common sense
Francisco Furtado said that the daughters who oppose the transfer of their father’s body to Luanda, to be buried with State honors, need to have common sense and awareness of the importance and need to preserve the family’s image and good name. of the father, as well as respect for Angolan citizens and the international community who want to see this situation resolved peacefully.
“The entire Angolan nation wants the presence of its former leader in the country to pay him the deserved tribute”, he stressed.
The Minister of State and head of the Military House of the President of the Republic stressed that the favorable outcome for the transfer of the body of the former President of the Republic, to Luanda, will be a gain for the Nation and the family, who will feel comforted with the realization of a funeral worthy of the size of the former Head of State, on the homeland, where he was born and from where he left to be treated in Spain.
Francisco Furtado believes that if the Court of Catalonia takes into account the reasons that led the former President of the Republic to Barcelona there will be no other outcome other than the return of the body to Luanda.
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