Agostinho Neto

**António Agostinho Neto** (17 September 1922 – 10 September 1979) na he be Angolan communist politician den poet. Na he serve as de first presido of Angola from 1975 to 1979, wey he lead de Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) insyd de war for independence (1961–1974). Til ein death, na he lead de MPLA insyd de civil war (1975–2002). Dem sanso know am for ein literary activities, dem dey consider am Angola ein preeminent poet. Dem dey celebrate ein birthday as National Heroes' Day, a public holiday insyd Angola.

## Early life

Na dem born Neto at Ícolo e Bengo, insyd Bengo Province, Angola, insyd 1922. Na Neto attend high school insyd de capital city, Luanda; na ein parents be both school teachers den Methodists; ein poppie, dem sanso call am Agostinho Neto, na he a Methodist pastor. After secondary school na he work insyd de colonial health services, before he go on to university. Na de younger Neto lef Angola for Portugal, wey na he study medicine at de universities of Coimbra den Lisbon. Na he combine ein academic life plus covert political activity of a revolutionary sort; den PIDE, de security police force of de Estado Novo regime wey be headed by Portuguese Prime Minister Salazar, na dem arrest am insyd 1951 for three months for ein separatist activism. Na dem sanso arrest am insyd 1952 for joining de Portuguese Movement for Democratic Youth Unity. Na dem san arrest am insyd 1955 wey na dem hold am til 1957. Na he fini ein studies, wey he marry a 23-year-old Portuguese woman wey na dem born am insyd Trás-os-Montes, Maria Eugénia da Silva, de same day na he graduate. Na he return go Angola insyd 1959, wey na dem san arrest am insyd 1960, wey na he escape to assume leadership of de armed struggle against colonial rule. Wen na Angola gain independence insyd 1975 he cam turn presido wey he hold de position til ein death insyd 1979.

## Political career

Insyd December 1956, na de Angolan Communist Party (PCA) merge plus de Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola (PLUAA) make dem form de Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola plus Viriato da Cruz, de Presido of de PCA, as Secretary General den Neto as president.

Na de Portuguese authorities insyd Angola arrest Neto on 8 June 1960. Na ein patients den supporters march for ein release from Bengo to Catete, buh na dem stop wen na Portuguese soldiers shoot at dem, wey dem kill 30 wey dem wound 200 insyd wat be cam known as de Massacre of Ícolo e Bengo. At first na Portugal ein government exile Neto to Cape Verde. Then, once more, na dem send am to jail insyd Lisbon. After na dem make international protests to Salazar ein administration wey dey urge Neto ein release, na dem free Neto from prison wey dem put am under house arrest. From dis na he escape, going first to Morocco den then to Congo-Léopoldville.

Insyd 1962, na Neto visit Washington, D.C., wey na he biz de Kennedy administration for aid insyd ein war against Portugal. Na de U.S. government turn am down, secof na e get oil interests insyd colonial Angola, wey he choose instead make he support Holden Roberto ein comparatively anti-Communist National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA).

Na Neto meet Che Guevara insyd 1965 wey na he begin dey receive support from Cuba. Na he visit Havana chaw times, wey he den Fidel Castro share similar ideological views.

Insyd February 1973 na Neto den MPLA visit Romania make dem meet plus Presido Nicolae Ceaușescu on a four day official trip between de 12-16th of February, make dem discuss political matters insyd Africa. On de 17th of February na Neto visit Bulgaria along plus Lucio Lara, Ruth Neto den oda party officials were na he sanso go seek support from de Bulgarian authorities, as well dey meet plus sam of de MPLA students insyd Bulgaria na amongst dem sanso be Dino Matrosse - wey later go cam be de MPLA General Secretary. De MPLA delegation go then continue plus dema official trip to Yugoslavia on de 18-22nd of February make dem meet plus Presido Josip Broz Tito.  Na Agostinho Neto dey spend chaw of ein time insyd 1973 insyd Europe, wer he dey visit Oslo, insyd Norway, den on de 2nd of July he dey insyd Geneva. De same year on de 15-16th of July 1973 na Tito den Ceausescu meet insyd Yugoslavia make dem discuss de situation insyd Angola, whilst na de leader of MPLA attend de 17-19th of July 1973 for de Bulgarian Communist Party Plenum Committee, wey be joined by ein sisto Ruth Neto den Dino Matrosse, wey na dem dey study engineering insyd Bulgaria.   

According to ein sons, na Presido Neto never assign business anaa privileges to dem, wey dey suggest dat despite a controversial presidency na he never forget ein humble origins.

## Literary career

Na dem chiefly wrep Agostinho Neto ein poetic works between 1946 den 1960, largely insyd Portugal. Na he publish three books of poetry during ein lifetime. Na chaw of ein poems cam turn national anthems. Na poems include collections like *Sacred Hope*, wich na dem publish insyd 1974 (Titled Dry Eyes insyd de Portuguese Version). Na he sanso be de first member dem vote into de Anglo Writers Union den The Center for African Studies insyd Lisbon. Na dem later award am de Lotus Prize wey be presented by de Conference of Afro-Asian Writers.

## Death

Agostinho Neto die on Monday, 10 September 1979 insyd Moscow after he travel to de Soviet Union make he undergo surgery for cancer den hepatitis. Na he be a week shy of ein 57th birthday at de time of ein death. Na Neto get a long battle plus pancreatic cancer, as well as chronic hepatitis wey ultimately take ein life. Na Neto go de Soviet Union chaw times for treatment secof de high level of medical professionals der. Na few people wey dem know about ein failing health secof na he den ein colleagues think say ebe better make dem hide dis information, so say e no go show weakness.

## Legacy

Na de Soviet Union award Neto de Lenin Peace Prize for 1975–76.

Dem name de public university of Luanda, de Agostinho Neto University, after am. A poem by Chinua Achebe he entitle "Agostinho Neto" na he wrep am insyd ein honour. Na dem name an airport insyd Santo Antão, Cape Verde, after am, secof de beloved work na he perform der as a doctor. For de same reason, na dem name de main hospital of Cape Verde insyd de capital Praia "Hospital Agostinho Neto" (HAN). Der sanso be a morna dem dedicate to am. Dem name a street insyd New Belgrade insyd Serbia after am, de Dr Agostina Neta street.

Dem name a street insyd Ghana (Agostinho Neto Road), wich fi be found insyd Airport City insyd de capital, after am.

On de 17-19th of July 1973 na dem hold The Congress The July Plenum insyd Sofia wey be organised by de Bulgarian Communist Party leader Todor Zhivkov, wey na Dr. Neto sanso attend am who at de time stay insyd Hotel Rila.  During dat period na he get a brief relationship plus Bulgarian woman plus whom na he meet earlier insyd de same year on de 17th of February wey na dem get a daughter Mihaela. A DNA test dem perform insyd 2013 conclude plus 95% confidence say she be Neto ein daughter.

## Foreign honours
* Cape Verde
**  Order of Amílcar Cabral, First Class
* Cuba
** Recipient of de Order of Playa Girón
* Guinea
**  Grand Cross of de National Order of Merit
* Namibia
**  Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis
* Poland
**  Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, First Class
* South Africa
**  Supreme Commander of de Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo
* Soviet Union
** Lenin Peace Prize
* Yugoslavia
**  Order of de Yugoslav Star
* Zimbabwe
** Recipient of de Royal Order of Munhumutapa

## References

## External links

*Encyclopedia