José Eduardo dos Santos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Eduardo dos Santos
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dos Santos in 2014
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| 2nd President of Angola | |
| In office 21 September 1979 – 26 September 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Agostinho Neto |
| Succeeded by | João Lourenço |
| Commander of the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola | |
| In office 21 September 1979 – 9 October 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Agostinho Neto |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 August 1942 Luanda, Portuguese Angola |
| Died | 8 July 2022 (aged 79) Barcelona, Spain |
| Political party | MPLA (1958–2022) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | Isabel, José and Jose Manuel Gomes dos Santos |
| Alma mater | Azerbaijan State Oil Academy |
| Signature | .png){kind=spacer} |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Angola |
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| Rank | Army general (1986) |
| Battles/wars |
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José Eduardo Van-Dúnem dos Santos was an Angolan leader who served as the second president of Angola. He led his country from 1979 until 2017. He was also the commander-in-chief of the Angolan Armed Forces. In addition, he led the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, known as the MPLA. This political group has guided the nation since its freedom in 1975. By the time he retired, he was one of the longest-serving leaders in Africa. Only Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea served longer as president.
Dos Santos began his political journey while still a student. He studied petroleum engineering and radar communications in the Soviet Union. After the Angolan War of Independence, Angola became an independent nation in 1975. It started as a Marxist–Leninist state with a single party. Dos Santos worked closely with Angola's first president, Agostinho Neto. When Neto died in 1979, dos Santos became the new president. His country was fighting a long conflict called the Angolan Civil War against UNITA.
Over time, dos Santos helped guide big changes in Angola. By 1991, he helped introduce a multi-party system with several political parties. The MPLA also shifted its ideas toward social democracy. He won the 1992 Angolan general election against UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi. Dos Santos supported free-market policies and expanded the oil industry in Angola. He also worked with other nations during regional events like the First Congo War. In that conflict, Laurent-Désiré Kabila replaced Mobutu Sese Seko in neighboring Zaire. He later supported Joseph Kabila during the Second Congo War.
The civil war ended in 2002, bringing a new period of rebuilding. Dos Santos won another term in the 2012 Angolan general election. He decided to step down from the presidency in 2017. His fellow party member João Lourenço became the next president. Dos Santos was praised for helping end the long war. He also brought international businesses to build the economy of Angola. However, critics argued that he ruled like a dictator and allowed patronage systems to grow.
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Early Life and Studies
José Eduardo dos Santos was born on 28 August 1942. He grew up in the Sambizanga district of Luanda. At that time, Angola was ruled by Portugal as Portuguese Angola. His parents came from Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe. His mother worked as a maid, and his father was a builder. He had a large family that remained close. His cousin Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos later became the leader of government as prime minister of Angola. Another family relative, Manuel Vicente, eventually served as Vice President of Angola.
Dos Santos went to primary school in Luanda. He attended secondary school at the Liceu Salvador Correia. While in school, he joined the MPLA movement to support freedom. The colonial authorities opposed this group. Because of this danger, he left the country in 1961. He moved to the neighboring Congo-Brazzaville to stay safe. There, he worked directly with other members of the MPLA.
He soon traveled abroad to continue his university education. He went to Azerbaijan, which was then the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. This region was part of the larger Soviet Union. He studied hard at the Azerbaijan Oil and Chemistry Institute in Baku. By 1969, he earned degrees in petroleum engineering and radar communications. These technical skills helped him understand both science and modern radio technology.
Path to Leadership
In 1970, dos Santos returned to his homeland, then called the Overseas Province of Angola. He joined the military group called the EPLA. This group later became the FAPLA. He worked as a radio operator in Cabinda Province. He showed great skill and became a communications commander in 1974.
During this period, he also served as a diplomat. He represented the MPLA in Yugoslavia, Zaire, and China. In 1974, party members in Moxico chose him for top leadership committees. When Angola became independent in November 1975, dos Santos became Minister of Foreign Affairs. He helped Angola gain official friendships with many nations worldwide.
At the MPLA congress in 1977, he was re-elected to key planning roles. In 1978, he became the national Minister of Planning. President Agostinho Neto passed away in September 1979. The party chose dos Santos as the new president of the MPLA. On 21 September 1979, he took office as the leader of Angola. During the 1980 Angolan parliamentary election, he was chosen to lead the assembly in a one-party state.
The Search for Peace in Angola
The biggest challenge for dos Santos was the ongoing Angolan Civil War. The government fought against rival groups, especially UNITA and the National Liberation Front of Angola. UNITA was led by a man named Jonas Savimbi. This conflict became part of global politics during the Cold War. The Soviet Union and Cuba helped the MPLA government. Meanwhile, other countries supported UNITA.
The United Nations sent observer missions to help create peace. These missions included the United Nations Angola Verification Mission I starting in 1989. Next came the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II in 1991. Both sides agreed to hold nationwide voting. In September 1992, the country held the 1992 Angolan general election. Dos Santos received 49% of the votes, while Savimbi received 40%.
Under the rules, the top two candidates needed a runoff election. However, UNITA claimed there was voting fraud and rejected the result. Fighting broke out again across the country during the Halloween period. The second round of voting could not take place. Dos Santos remained president while the conflict continued.
The United States attempted to arrange a power sharing deal between both sides. In 1993, the United States officially recognized dos Santos as the leader. The long war finally ended after Savimbi died in early 2002. The Angolan Army and UNITA agreed to stop fighting on 4 April 2002. UNITA became a regular political party and disarmed its soldiers. The UN Security Council created the United Nations Mission in Angola to protect the peace.
Modern Governance and Politics
After the fighting ended, dos Santos worked to rebuild the country. In 2006, his government signed an agreement with the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda. His party achieved a major victory in the 2008 Angolan parliamentary election. Following this victory, lawmakers wrote a new plan for the government.
Under the Constitution of Angola created in 2010, the voting system changed. It used a first-past-the-post double simultaneous vote model. The head candidate of the winning party automatically became the president. In the 2012 Angolan legislative election, the MPLA won over two-thirds of all votes. This outcome confirmed dos Santos as president under the new rules.
Dos Santos also met with many international partners to build ties. He traveled to the Oval Office to meet President of the United States George W. Bush. He also met leaders of Brazil, such as Dilma Rousseff. Later, dos Santos separated party jobs from provincial leadership roles. This step helped local towns manage public services much better.
Economic Growth and Natural Resources
Early in his career, dos Santos followed socialist ideas. As the world changed, he shifted toward an open market economy. This shift happened around the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Dos Santos invited foreign energy companies to invest in local oil fields. Angola quickly grew into a leading oil producer in Africa.
Angola also became famous for diamond mining. To manage these valuable minerals, dos Santos helped start an international group. In 2006, he co-founded the African Countries Diamond Producers Association. This organization supported trade in the African diamond industry. Dos Santos welcomed visits from Russian leaders like Dmitry Medvedev to discuss commerce.
Despite this resource wealth, many citizens remained very poor. Critics stated that dos Santos ran a kleptocracy, which means rule by wealth-taking. A lot of public money went to private accounts instead of schools. After dos Santos left office, his successor João Lourenço estimated huge losses. Leaders worked to improve financial openness following news reports known as the Luanda Leaks. Organizations like Transparency International watched these matters closely.
Family and Personal Life
Dos Santos was married and had several children who became prominent figures. While studying in Baku, he met a Russian geologist named Tatiana Kukanova. They married and had a daughter named Isabel dos Santos. She later grew into a successful businesswoman. The marriage later ended, and dos Santos remarried.
His son José Filomeno dos Santos later helped manage the Fundo Soberano de Angola. Another daughter, Welwitschia dos Santos, became active in business and politics. Her mother, Maria Luísa Abrantes, was once the Minister of Finance. His son Coréon Dú became a well-known creative artist and musician.
In 1991, dos Santos married Ana Paula dos Santos, who had worked as a flight attendant. Together they had three children, including a son named Eduane Danilo. Eduane later worked in business, including telecommunications projects with Angola Telecom. Dos Santos enjoyed reading and spoke several languages, including Portuguese, Russian, French, and Spanish.
Stepping Down and Later Years
In March 2016, dos Santos announced his plan to step down. The MPLA selected João Lourenço as its lead candidate for the 2017 Angolan legislative election. Dos Santos retired as president in September 2017 after Lourenço won the election. Dos Santos spent his retirement resting and focusing on his health.
In his final years, he traveled to Barcelona in Spain for medical treatment. He suffered from health complications and cardiorespiratory arrest. He died on 8 July 2022 at the age of 79. Leaders honored him with a formal state funeral in Luanda. Many international leaders attended the ceremony to remember his long service.
Awards and Honors
Dos Santos received several high honors from nations around the world. These awards recognized his role in ending colonial rule and negotiating peace.
- From Angola, he was awarded the Order of Agostinho Neto.
- Cuba presented him with the prestigious Order of José Martí.
- Portugal honored him with the Order of Prince Henry in 1988.
- Portugal also granted him the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword in 1996.
- Russia awarded him both the Order of Friendship and the Order of Honour.
- Serbia presented him with the Order of the Republic of Serbia.
- South Africa gave him the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo in 2010.
Dos Santos was trained as an engineer during his university days. Because he supported neighboring freedom struggles, a university honored his legacy. The University of Namibia named an engineering campus after him in Ongwediva.
Images for kids
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Dos Santos welcoming foreign leaders in Luanda
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Meeting with Brazilian leadership at the presidential palace
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Dos Santos addressing an audience in 2014
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Memorial honors during the official ceremony
See Also
In Spanish: José Eduardo dos Santos para niños
- List of current Angolan ministers
- List of heads of state of Angola
- Agostinho Neto
- João Lourenço
