VZCZCXRO1180
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLU #0846 2271630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151630Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4235
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

UNCLAS LUANDA 000846 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA: FNLA FOUNDER LAID TO REST 
 
REF: LUANDA 796 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following an official state ceremony in 
Luanda, FNLA founder Holden Roberto was buried in his native 
Zaire Province on August 8th, 2007.  Despite mutterings that 
the GRA had deliberately kept him in poverty, the GRA pulled 
out all the stops for an elaborate funeral for Roberto. 
Attention is already turning to the battle for party 
leadership, and many wonder if the death of its founder will 
lead to the end of the party. END SUMMARY 
 
"Modern-day King" Laid to Rest 
------------------------------ 
¶2. (U) On August 8, 2007 Holden Alvaro Roberto, founder and 
president of the FNLA, was laid to rest in his hometown of 
Mbanza Kongo in front of thousands of people.  He was buried 
in a sacred burial ground, reserved for kings from his 
Bakongo ethnic group.  Members of the former Bakongo kingdom 
) which covered parts of modern-day Gabon, Congo 
Brazzaville, and the DRC - came to assist the interment, and 
often referred to the late Roberto as a present-day king of 
the Bakongos. 
 
¶3. (SBU) GRA representation at the interment included the 
Ministers of Justice, Territorial Administration and War 
Veterans, as well as the Vice Minister for Culture and 
Zaire's Provincial Governor.  Official eulogies from 
President Dos Santos, Prime Minister Nando, National War 
Veterans and the GRA were read by representatives.  The 
previous day, President Dos Santos had laid a wreath by the 
coffin of the deceased during the official lying-in-state 
ceremony held at the National Assembly.  The GRA paid all 
funeral expenses and established an inter-ministerial 
commission to oversee logistical arrangements. 
 
Act of Contrition for "Nationalist Hero" 
---------------------------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) The elaborate interment ceremony and flowing 
eulogies were seen as acts of guilt by President Dos Santos, 
who frustrated and belittled Roberto while he was alive and 
in need of assistance.  Many have criticized the GRA for 
allowing a man now labeled as a national hero to die in 
poverty.  The GRA marginalized the FNLA after the party split 
in 1999, in a schism supposedly engineered by MPLA 
infiltration and influence.  Citing the lack of an 
agreed-upon party president, the GRA then froze FNLA party 
funds with a court order in 2000, and has not yet lifted the 
order.  This has severely restricted party activity and 
limited funds available for medical care as Roberto,s health 
worsened.  Anger at the GRA's treatment of Roberto united 
Bakongos from all spheres, and ideological barriers were 
dropped as Roberto's wish to buried in Mbanza Kongo trumped 
President Dos Santos request that he be buried in Luanda. 
 
FNLA: Hope for the Future? 
-------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) All eyes now turn to the looming fight for party 
leadership.  Because of Roberto's long illnesses and frequent 
absences from the country, the party has been virtually 
leaderless for years.  Party loyalties are divided between 
the two current vice presidents, but neither has a sure shot 
at the FNLA presidency.  Lucas Ngonda, who has claimed the 
party presidency since 1999, is seen by many FNLA members as 
a traitor paid by the MPLA to create friction within the 
party.  His failure to attend the interment due to "health 
reasons" and his brief appearance at the state ceremony 
surrounded by bodyguards due to "security concerns" was 
criticized by party insiders.  Ngola Kabangu is Robert's 
chosen heir, but is Kimbundu, the traditional ethnic base of 
the MPLA.  Party insiders also question the willingness for 
party faithful to elect a non-Bakongo to the top post, and 
are said to be looking for a third candidate who can overcome 
old divisions and lead the FNLA to a rebirth.  Announcement 
of a date for the party congress is expected in the fall. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Though Roberto's death temporarily united 
the Bakongos, many doubt that the fractured and torn FNLA 
will be able to turn this sentiment to its advantage.  Once a 
western-backed powerhouse, the party has been on the decline 
since its military force was virtually annihilated in 
1976/76.  Its poor showing in the 1992 legislative elections 
(2.4% of the electorate vs. the 2.27% received by the PRS, a 
party formed the previous year) was seen as yet another nail 
in the party's coffin.  In any event, the MPLA is sure to use 
its leverage to prevent any resurgence of another 
ethnic-based party power, and other opposition parties will 
work to hold onto Bakongos that have swung their way during 
the long leadership vacuum in the FNLA.  END COMMENT 
FERNANDEZ