# José Eduardo dos Santos

_President of Angola from 1979 to 2017_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jose-eduardo-dos-santos
Last updated: 2026-11-08

> José Eduardo Van-Dúnem dos Santos was an Angolan politician and military officer who served as the second president of Angola from 1979 to 2017. As president, dos Santos was also the commander-in-chief of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and president of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the party that has ruled Angola since it won independence in 1975. By the time he stepped down in 2017, he was the second-longest-serving president in Africa, surpassed only by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 28 August 1942 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Luanda ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P19))
- **Died:** 8 July 2022 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P570))
- **Place of death:** Barcelona ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Angola ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; engineer; minister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P106))
- **Political party:** People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P102))
- **Education:** Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P69))
- **Spouse:** Ana Paula dos Santos; Tatiana Kukanova ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Angola (21 September 1979 – 26 September 2017); Minister of External Relations (11 November 1975 – 10 December 1977); Member of the National Assembly of Angola ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of Honour; Order of Agostinho Neto; Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword; Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo; Order of José Martí; Order of Friendship; Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry; honorary doctor of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia; Military Order of Saint James of the Sword; Order of Prince Henry; Order of the Republic of Serbia; Order of the Equatorial Star ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313#P166))

## Questions

**When was José Eduardo dos Santos born?**  
José Eduardo dos Santos was born on 28 August 1942 in Luanda.

**What positions has José Eduardo dos Santos held?**  
Positions held by José Eduardo dos Santos include: President of Angola (1979–2017); Minister of External Relations (1975–1977); Member of the National Assembly of Angola.

**Where did José Eduardo dos Santos study?**  
José Eduardo dos Santos was educated at Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): José Eduardo dos Santos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Eduardo_dos_Santos) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q57313](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57313) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: José Eduardo dos Santos 2.jpg by Ricardo Stuckert/PR (CC BY 3.0 br)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jos%C3%A9_Eduardo_dos_Santos_2.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article José Eduardo dos Santos, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: José Eduardo dos Santos 2.jpg — Ricardo Stuckert/PR, CC BY 3.0 br.

## Cite this page

"José Eduardo dos Santos". DigiNepal. Last updated 8 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jose-eduardo-dos-santos. Retrieved 11 November 2026.