JOHANNESBURG — The remains of a former Angolan rebel commander were repatriated from South Africa on Thursday in an effort by Angolan President Joao Lourenco to reconcile with the opposition. South African and Angolan officials presided over a ceremony at the Waterkloof air force base for Arlindo Chenda Pena, who died of an illness in South Africa in 1998. Pena, known as “Ben Ben,” was a rebel commander in UNITA, whose Portuguese acronym means the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. In the mid-1990s, Pena had a senior post in Angola’s national army during a fragile peace process. The repatriation of Pena will contribute to national unity in Angola, said Francisco Queiroz, Angola’s minister of justice and human rights.

Source: National Post September 13, 2018 13:31 UTC