The President, who was speaking at the opening of a meeting with the country’s military chiefs, at the headquarters of the Angolan army, which today completed 29 years of existence, guaranteed that although the economy is a priority on the State’s agenda, it will continue to be provided attention to the need to maintain defense and security forces with a high response capacity “to all potential internal and external threats that could endanger national security”.
The Angolan head of state stressed that the defense and security forces are essential to the survival of any state, however, they always represent a considerable expense to the budget of any country.
“For this reason, although they are important in all circumstances, including in a situation of peace and stability, their numbers must be permanently adjusted according to the greater or lesser imminence of conflict,” noted João Lourenço.
“If, on the one hand, we should do this exercise, of resizing the FAA, while ensuring the maintenance of their operational capacity, with less staff, better prepared and with more modern and efficient armaments and techniques, on the other, we are also called to some self-sufficiency in the production of food, uniforms and boots, barracks utensils and other logistical goods of great daily consumption by the troops ”, he added.
The President of Angola also expressed concern about the reform of the country’s defense and security forces, stressing that alternatives to financing the Social Security Fund of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), the Social Security Fund of the National Police and the counterpart of the Services are needed. of Intelligence.
These bodies “have a responsibility to ensure a decent life for the pensioners of these military institutions”, but until now, underlined João Lourenço, they have been supported “almost exclusively by the State Budget”.
“We know that the condition of a pensioner is not always well regarded by everyone, because we are not always prepared, from a psychological point of view, to face this new reality, which, not being a fatality, someday ends up knocking on our door, but that the human being usually has the tendency to think that it only affects others ”, he stressed.
The Angolan President defended that the retired can be useful to pass the experiences acquired over the years, in the Superior School of War, in the Military Technical Higher Institute, in the military academies of the branches, in the National Police academy and in general in the different military and police education establishments.
“Even when retired, we can continue to transmit the knowledge of our specialty, acquired over the years and with that gradually replace foreign cooperation and thereby reduce foreign exchange expenses, therefore, reducing the country’s external debt,” he said.
The contribution can also be made, continued João Lourenço, in the record of the country’s military history and organization of museums, monuments and military sites, “which cannot be limited to the Fortaleza de Luanda, Kifangondo and Cuito Cuanavale.
“We also need to perpetuate the history of the Battles of Ntó, in Cabinda, Ebo, Cuanza Sul, Cangamba, Moxico, Cahama, Cunene, the cities of Huambo, Cuito, Luena and other, no less important, while many of the protagonists of these battles are alive and in a position to report these glorious experiences, ”he said.
