Huambo: The Commission for Reconciliation in Memory of Victims of Political Conflicts (CIVICOP) handed over the remains of four victims of political conflicts to their families on Wednesday in central Huambo province.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the victims include Paulino Sassonga, Rodrigues Chinduva, Lus Maria Mbongue, and Sabina Ngoloveia, former members of the Popular Defence Organisation (ODP). They were all murdered in the municipality of Cachiungo, Huambo province, with their deaths occurring between 1981 and 2001.
During the ceremony, the executive coordinator of the COVICOP Operational and Logistics Group, Fernando Garcia Miala, presented the remains and death certificates to the families. He also paid tribute to the victims by laying a wreath, greeting the family members, and signing the book of condolences. The exhumations followed extensive efforts by CIVICOP to identify and return the remains to the victims' families, involving thorough verification processes, laboratory testing, and genetic certification.
The Department of Forensic Biology - DNA of the Central Criminalistics Laboratory confirmed the identification of the victims through genetic matching with their relatives. This marked the conclusion of the comparison and statistical analysis of the genetic profiles of the relatives and the remains, ensuring there was genetic compatibility.
Edgar dos Santos Hil¡rio, the vice-governor for Technical Services and Infrastructures, represented the Huambo government at the event. He described the handover as a symbolic and significant act that reflects the ability of Angolans to reconcile with history. Hil¡rio also mentioned that President Joo Louren§o had apologized to the victims of political conflicts, which spanned from November 11, 1975, to April 4, 2002, acknowledging the pain and trauma caused during this period.
The families of the victims expressed gratitude to President Louren§o for his gesture of reconciliation, considering it a noble act that allows them to provide dignified funerals for their loved ones. CIVICOP, established by Presidential Decree in April 2019, aims to honor the memory of victims of political conflicts in Angola between November 11, 1975, and April 4, 2002.
