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“A nossa lâmpada não se apaga”: The Mnemonic Return of Angola’s Jonas Savimbi

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Abstract Rehabilitating the legacy of deceased leaders is a phenomenon particularly salient in Southern Africa, insofar as memories of liberation wars provoke considerable debate. After a protracted civil war, Angolans… Click to show full abstract

Abstract Rehabilitating the legacy of deceased leaders is a phenomenon particularly salient in Southern Africa, insofar as memories of liberation wars provoke considerable debate. After a protracted civil war, Angolans remain divided about the contributions of their historical leaders. Jonas Savimbi sits at the center of this division, a binary representation of both heroism and villainy. Martins demonstrates how Savimbi’s memory is invoked both as a moral source of hope for an alternative Angola—one imagined and disseminated by Savimbi and UNITA and appropriated by social protest—and as a technology of fear and control employed by the MPLA to assert political dominance.

Keywords: mnemonic return; mpada apaga; jonas savimbi; apaga mnemonic; angola; nossa mpada

Journal Title: African Studies Review
Year Published: 2020

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