Antonio Dembo

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General Antonio Dembo (1944-2002) was a leader of UNITA, an Angolan military and political opposition movement.

Following the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, who was killed in combat on February 22, 2002, Dembo assumed interim leadership of UNITA. However, Dembo was also wounded in the same attack that killed Savimbi and, already weakened by diabetes, died three days later.

[edit] History

Antonio Dembo joined UNITA in 1969. He became UNITA's Vice President in 1992 when the Angolan Civil War resumed, succeeding former UNITA Vice President Jeremias Chitunda, who was assassinated by the Angolan government in Luanda in 1992.

Dembo's succession of Savimbi had been pre-ordained by Savimbi and the UNITA leadership. In 1997, Savimbi and the UNITA leadership named Dembo Savimbi's successor in the event of Savimbi's death. Consistent with this pre-ordained succession, Dembo assumed leadership of UNITA immediately following Savimbi's February 22, 2002 death in combat.

[edit] External links

• "Angola Rebels Demand Death Probe", BBC News, February 28, 2002.
• "UNITA Successor Dead", Pravda, June 3, 2002.