LUANDA, Angola – Former Angolan President José Eduardo Dos Santos died Friday at the age of 79 in a hospital in Barcelona after suffering a cardiac arrest, the government announced.
It was with “great pain and dismay” that the Luanda government posted confirmation of Dos Santos’ death at 11:10 a.m. (10:10 GMT) on Facebook.
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“(The government) extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” the statement said, describing the former leader as a “statesman of great historical stature” who led the country through very difficult times.
Dos Santos ruled oil-rich, Portuguese-speaking Angola for 38 years before stepping down in September 2017.
He was hospitalized in Spain and placed in intensive care after suffering cardiac arrest on June 23.
- AFP
