Luanda: Angola's ambassador to Japan, Teodolinda Rodrigues Coelho, participated in a ceremony in Hiroshima on Thursday, marking the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing that devastated the city in 1945. According to Angola Press News Agency, the event was held at the Peace Memorial Park, a site dedicated to the memory of the bombing victims. The ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who reiterated a call for a world without nuclear weapons. During the event, Hiroshima's mayor, Matsui Kazumi, delivered a statement advocating for peace and urging global leaders to abolish nuclear weapons, highlighting the catastrophic damage they inflict on humanity. The 1945 explosion resulted in the destruction of the city, with approximately 140,000 people perishing by the end of that year, and many survivors continue to endure cancer and other radiation-related illnesses. The ceremony saw participation from representatives of 121 countries, who, alongside the citizens of Hiroshima and delegates from across Japan, made a pilgrimage to the Peace Memorial Park to pay respects to the victims. At exactly 8:15 a.m., the city observed a moment of silence, marking the time when the atomic bomb was dropped. On Friday, the Angolan ambassador is scheduled to visit Nagasaki, another city affected by an atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, as part of her continued visit to Japan.
