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The main Angolan opposition party, the former rebel Unita, announced Wednesday its intention to hold a public funeral this weekend in honor of its former leader Jonas Savimbi, after a dispute with the government over the treatment of his remains.
Savimbi, a controversial and charismatic warlord who fought the Angolan socialist government in a 27-year civil war, was killed in a battle against MPLA government forces in February 2002.
His death paved the way for a peace deal ending one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in Africa, which erupted after Portugal's independence in 1975.
Unita has long claimed that the MPLA, which has led Angola since independence, allows the exhumation of its body and burial "with dignity".
After a meeting Wednesday between Savimbi's family and Unita, the party had "decided to maintain its program" for Saturday's funeral, said AFP Alcides Sakala Simoes, spokesman for the party. ; Unita.
"We call for calm," said Simoes, adding that the burial would be an important moment to contribute to "building a national reconciliation".
Cheya Savimbi, Savimbi's son, confirmed that the burial would be held on Saturday.
After negotiations, the government planned to hand over the remains of the former rebel leader on Tuesday so that the body could be buried Saturday in his home village.
But the remains were not handed over, which caused accusations on both sides.
The government said that the Unita family and delegation did not show up as planned in Luena, Moxico province. But the family delegation was waiting at Kuito, about 400 km away, where she said the meeting had been organized.
The government said the body was transported Tuesday to Andulo, a village near Savimbi's funeral.
"We left the body in the military barracks" in Andulo, said Pedro Sebastiao, security chief of President Joao Lourenco, urging Unita to recover it as soon as possible.
The family said that the government had changed the program but that she did not want a "conflict" about the burial.
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