Iko Carreira

Iko Carreira
Iko Carreira
	Henrique - Iko - Teles Carreira
Minister of Defence of Angola
	In office; 1975–1979
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Pedro Maria Tonha Pedalé
Ambassador of Angola to Algeria
	In office; 1987–1989
Preceded by	João Saraiva de Carvalho
Succeeded by	José C. Augusto Kiluanje
Personal details
Born	June 2, 1933; Quipungo, Portuguese Angola
Died	May 30, 2000 (aged 66)
	Military career
Allegiance	Angola
Service/branch	Ground Forces
Years of service	1964-1979

General Henrique Teles Carreira (1933–2000), best known by the nickname Iko Carreira, served as the first Defense Minister of Angola from 1975 to 1980 during the civil war.[1] After the death of Agostinho Neto his position in the party weakened. He later served as ambassador to Algeria and military attaché to Spain.[2]

He was born to civil servants in Angola. He joined the Independence Movement in 1957 and went underground in 1964, moving to Zambia and Algeria to receive training from military training. He was an officer in the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Agostinho Neto's armed wing fighting against Portuguese colonial apartheid like rule. Founder and commander in chief of the Angolan Armed Forces, he defeated the FNLA in the north and UNITA in the south during the first civil war. Considered to be the regime's second in command until Neto's death, he was the first African military officer to receive a degree as a general from the Soviet Union 's (Academia de Estado- Maior).[3]

General Iko Carreira's last struggle was to combat his illness, a stroke that paralysed his entire left side for the last 13 years of his life, writing two novels with one finger, on a special computer. The novels are titled: "O Pensamento Estrategico de Agostinho Neto", Publicacoes Dom Quixote, and "Memorias" published in Angola by Nzila.[3]For his eulogy in June 2000, The Guardian's Victoria Brittain obituary wrote: "Like his friend and mentor, President Neto, Carreira will always remain a reference point for Angolans for the heroic period of their history."

Political offices
Preceded by n/a	Minister of Defence of Angola 1976-1980	Succeeded by Pedro Maria Tonha Pedalé
Preceded by João Arnaldo Saraiva de Carvalho	Ambassador of Angola to Algeria 1987-1989	Succeeded by José César Augusto Kiluanje

References

Hodges, Tony (2004). Angola: Anatomy of an Oil State. p. 51.
James, W. Martin (2004). Historical Dictionary of Angola. p. 28.
Castanheira, Jose Pedro (1996). "A Ultima Batalha do General Iko Carreira Revista Expresso". pp. 37–61.

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[dates-1] Hodges, Tony (2004). Angola: Anatomy of an Oil State. p. 51.

[bio-2] James, W. Martin (2004). Historical Dictionary of Angola. p. 28.

[article-3] Castanheira, Jose Pedro (1996). "A Ultima Batalha do General Iko Carreira Revista Expresso". pp. 37–61.