Territory Minister, Marcy Lopes, spokesman for the commission, said at least 21 foreign delegations represented at the highest level are expected to arrive in Angola, to attend the funeral ceremony of the former president of the Southern African nation, according to Xinhua.
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola from 1979 to 2017, died on July 8, 2022, at the age of 79, in Barcelona, Spain, where he spent most of his time over the past five years.
The arrival in Angola of the remains of Jose Eduardo dos Santos on August 20, just days before Angolans headed to the polls in crucial elections, ended a dispute that has lasted since July 8.
The body was finally handed over to his widow, Ana Paula dos Santos, after a legal battle between two sides of the family in the Spanish courts.
Ramaphosa to attend State Funeral
President Cyril Ramaphosa will travel to the Republic of Angola on Sunday, 28 August, 2022, to attend the state funeral Service of former President José Eduardo dos Santos.
The state funeral service will take place in Luanda at 11h00 South African time.
President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes.
Religious chants echoed through loudspeakers in the vast plaza, where there were black flags and posters paying homage to "Zedu" - dos Santos's nickname, according to Seychelles News Agency.
According to local Angolan media, about 20 women wept, chanting the name of the man whose tenure was marred by allegations of sweeping nepotism and plunder of the oil-rich state's resources.
Election update
The party that has ruled Angola continuously for nearly 50 years claimed victory on Friday in this week's election, after the electoral commission put its share of the vote at 51%. However, the leader of the main opposition coalition rejected the results, writes Reuters.
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