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AFP
Jonas Savimbi, known as the "black rooster", was an extremely controversial figure
The former leader of the Angolan rebel group Unita, Jonas Savimbi, will be reburied 17 years after his death.
Thousands of Unita veterans dressed in white t-shirts sporting images of Mr. Savimbi attended the ceremony in his hometown of Lopitanga.
His death in 2002 ended one of the longest civil wars in Africa.
His remains were finally delivered to his family on Friday, after a confusion earlier in the week.
Unita said the funeral ceremony would be an important step towards national reconciliation in this oil-rich country.
However, no government representative was present at the ceremony, reports the AFP news agency.
Her casket was draped in the green and red Unita flag.
Angola was a battleground of the Cold War, with the United States and South Africa supporting apartheid supporting Unita, while the ruling MPLA was receiving support from the United States. former Soviet Union and Cuba.
At least 500,000 people have died in the 27 years of conflict.
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Who was Jonas Savimbi?
Savimbi, known as the "black rooster", was an extremely controversial figure.
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AFP
Accused of widespread atrocities, he was also a charismatic leader revered by thousands of people.
He was killed by government soldiers in 2002 and was hastily buried in a cemetery in the central city of Luena. AFP reports that his grave was marked with an iron cross on a mound of red earth.
He will be buried near his father.
His family and Unita officials had been asking for his reburial for many years without success.
The stalemate was broken after his longtime foe, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, stepped down as president in 2017.
His successor, Joao Lourenco, accepted their requests and his body was exhumed earlier this year, with DNA testing confirming his identity.
Durão Sakaíta, one of Savimbi's eldest sons, told the Lusa news agency that the family would be "finally at peace" after his reburial.
Savimbi chronology:
- Unita Movement founded in 1966 in eastern Angola
- Abandoned medical studies in Portugal to join the anti-colonial struggle
- Despite the independence of Angola in 1975, Unita continues to fight against the government
- Savimbi considered himself the leader of the Angolan struggle against communism
- He received strong support from the United States and met President Reagan at the White House in 1986.
- His death in 2002 was celebrated in the capital, Luanda
Obituary: Jonas Savimbi, the boy of Unita
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