Francisco Queiros, who served as coordinator of the Commission for the Implementation of the Plan for the Reconciliation of Victims of Conflict (CIVICOP), spoke at the ceremony of handing over the remains of Alisers Mango and Salupeto Pena to relatives. killed in conflicts in 1992 in Luanda.
“It’s time to correct this mistake, forgive and reconcile, without asking who is to blame, whose fault it is,” the minister stressed.
In the September 1992 presidential election, the first in the country’s history, neither the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) candidate, the then President of Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, nor his opponent Jonas Savimbi of the National Union for the Complete Independence of Angola (UNITA ), they received an absolute majority in the presidential elections, but the second round never took place.
In late October, the failure of the electoral process in the Angolan capital resulted in violent clashes between UNITA and government forces, leading to a resumption of the civil war in Angola after a period of peace.
An Angolan government official also believes that the time has come to forgive, “without preconditions, those who were involved in the tragic events that led to the death of many people.”
“The time has come to honor the memory of the victims, without looking at the side of the conflict in which they found themselves when they lost their lives. It’s time to change behavior and attitudes as well. Enough tragic political mistakes, ”he said. …
The CIVICOP Coordinator also called for an end to “acts of political irresponsibility that can lead to violence and cause suffering to people.”
“It is enough to consider differences as evil to fight and kill. It is enough to disrespect those who want to live in peace and freely fulfill their civil and patriotic obligations. It is enough to disrespect the memory of those who lost their lives, falling victim to the stupidity of political mistakes. “, – he stressed.
Francisco Queiroz wished that people who died as a result of political conflicts, known and unknown, identified and anonymous, did not disappear in vain, given that it is time to “learn from mistakes”, and there is still time to correct them.
“Our memory should record tragic political mistakes and remember them. These errors must not be forgotten because they will present a permanent warning to prevent recurrence. We must remember political mistakes as milestones in our history that we never want to experience. “, – he said.
The minister said that the remains of UNITA leaders Jeremiah Chitunda and Eliseu Chimbili, as well as victims of the conflict on May 27, the date known in the country’s history as the alleged attempted coup d’état, will be handed over in due course. under the leadership of MPLA leader Nito Alves in 1977.
According to Francisco Queiros, this action was made possible “thanks to strong investments in national and foreign specialists, technology, working conditions and logistics.”
“We would like to encourage families to come to CIVICOP to collect genetic material for DNA tests,” he urged.
“This is a process that is of great human importance and is a gesture of unconditional commitment to reconciliation and forgiveness,” he added.
CIVICOP was created in 2019 by the President of Angola, João Lourenço, with the aim of paying tribute to all the victims of political conflicts registered in Angola from 1975, the year of independence, to 2002, when the country’s civil war ended and forgiveness is achieved. and national reconciliation.
Last year, João Lourenço publicly asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Angolan state for the “summary executions” recorded during that period, for the first time in 44 years recording a public tribute to the victims of May 27, 1977.
