Isaias Samakuva on Friday won a landslide victory to become the new leader of Angola's former rebel movement UNITA. Samakuva, formerly UNITA's representative in London and Paris, was elected with 78 percent of the vote at a party congress held in Viana on the outskirts of the capital, Luanda. His closest rival was Lukamba 'Gato' Paulo, UNITA's interim head since the death in combat of founder-president Jonas Savimbi in 2002. As the UNITA congress drew to a close on Friday, the former rebel group claimed that it now "enjoyed the full legitimacy amongst Angolans". The four-day congress aimed to choose a new leadership and adopt strategies for the country's first post-war elections. UNITA secretary for foreign affairs, Alcides Sakala, told IRIN that debate during the congress focused mainly on preparations for the upcoming election and consolidating UNITA's presence throughout the country.
| Is this a success story? Could it be because Jonas is dead, instead of ceasefired? |
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