João Miranda
| João Bernardo de Miranda | |
|---|---|
| Minister of External Relations of Angola | |
|
In office January 1999 – October 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Venâncio da Silva Moura |
| Succeeded by | Assunção dos Anjos |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 18, 1952 Caxito-Dande, Bengo, Angola |
| Political party | Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola |
João Bernardo de Miranda (born July 18, 1952) is an Angolan politician who is currently the Governor of Bengo province. He was Minister of External Relations of Angola from January 1999 to October 2008.
De Miranda was born in Caxito-Dande, Bengo, Angola. He has academic degrees in journalism, law, and international relations.
He began his political career at a very young age by joining the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Angola's ruling party since its independence in 1975. He has held various positions within the party mostly related to journalism, radio, and propaganda.
In 1990 he was appointed to the post of Vice-Minister for Information, and was chosen to be part of the task force in the Bicesse Accords the following year. He was moved to the Ministry of External Relations soon after. In 1993 he led a high level governmental task force to the exploratory conversations with the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) that took place in Zambia. The outcome of those talks gave way to the signature of the Lusaka in 1994.
He was appointed Minister of External Relations in 1999 during a very critical time, in which the National Assembly of Angola gave President Jose Eduardo dos Santos a substantial amount of power in order to bring about an end to the civil war the nation was facing. In the process, President dos Santos made a series of critical changes within the government that brought a core of loyal and pragmatic individuals such as Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, Kundi Paihama, and de Miranda. Being fully oriented by President dos Santos, the newly appointed minister began an intensive and tireless diplomatic campaign in order to isolate UNITA politically, and weaken its military capabilities through sanctions on its arms suppliers. In the process he was able to gain international sympathy for the Angolan government's cause.
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