Luanda: Angolan President Joo Louren§o posthumously awarded the Independent Medal to late Swedish journalist Leif Bj¶rkborg in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Angola’s independence, which will be celebrated on November 11. The medal was accepted by Hikena Carreira, the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Angola, who thanked the Angolan government for the honor.
According to Angola Press News Agency, during Angola’s armed struggle for independence, the country received official support from Swedish entities, particularly the Swedish Democratic Socialist Party. The party sent Biureborgh to support and accompany the MPLA during its armed struggle and political rise. At a time when the uprisings in Africa were viewed by most Western countries as terrorist and/or communist movements, Sweden, along with other Nordic countries, positioned itself in support of the fight against dictatorships and African colonization.
Early on, Sweden supported liberation movements in Africa, such as the MPLA in Angola, the PAIGC in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, and the FRELIMO in Mozambique. In mid-July 1973, Leif Biureborgh met Agostinho Neto. They traveled together by car and on foot for a month. At that time, the end of European dictatorships, including the Salazar dictatorship and its army and PIDE (Political and Internal Defense Service), was already predicted. These dictatorships hindered the liberation of European colonies.
Biureborgh met Neto at an international conference in Stockholm, and the two formed a close friendship. Agostinho Neto invited Leif Biureborgh to settle in Luanda in 1973 to closely monitor the MPLA’s guerrilla activity. At the time, Sweden was a country open to all who fought against dictatorships. Although Sweden was not at war, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained its support for liberation causes.
In Angola, Sweden supported Agostinho Neto in its reports. Neto advocated for a society not based on race or tribe. During his long career as an international journalist, Leif Biureborgh interviewed former UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi at a military base in Moxico.
The sixth awards ceremony, which is part of the 50th anniversary of National Independence, recognizes 759 national and international figures. Among the honorees are Portuguese figures lvaro Cunhal, Almeida Santos, Melo Antunes, Rosa Coutinho, S©rgio Vilarigues, and Vital Moreira.
