Vice-president for dialogue to resolve conflicts in Africa

Addis Ababa , Addis Ababa - The Angolan Vice-president, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, defended on Sunday in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) that it is important to continue promoting dialogue so as to solve conflicts in Africa. Fernando da Piedade said so to Angolan journalists at the end of the first two days of work of the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in representation of the President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos. “War is always bad. Apart from the human and material losses, it delays development, thus we defend that all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue”, said the official. He said that “the world is increasingly global and Africa must take its own steps”, having equal relations with other continents. Fernando da Piedade thinks that it is time for Africans to become independent and finish with war situations that cause much damage and slow down the growth of the continent. According to him, it is possible to promote intra-African trade and its population’s welfare if the continent experiences a situation of stability. The vice president is leading a delegation that is comprised by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Health, George Chicoti, Valente and José Van-Dunem, respectively. The delegation also integrates the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Manuel Augusto, ambassador to AU and Ethiopia, Arcanjo do Nascimento, ambassador to UN, Gaspar Martins, as well as senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Angolan embassy in Ethiopia.