Angola’s former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Africa’s second-biggest oil producer for nearly four decades, has died aged 79.
The former president died on Friday morning at the Barcelona Teknon clinic after a prolonged illness, the presidency said. A spokesperson for the clinic declined to comment. Dos Santos had been receiving medical treatment since 2019.
The Portuguese news agency Lusa reported last month that Dos Santos had been admitted to an intensive care unit at a clinic in Barcelona.
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Angola’s current head of state, João Lourenço, announced five days of national mourning starting on Friday, when the country’s flag will fly at half-staff and public events will be cancelled.