Antonio Dembo

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General Antonio Dembo (1944-2002) served as Vice President (1992-2002) and later President (2002) of UNITA, an anti-Communist rebel group that fought against the MPLA in the Angolan Civil War.

Following the assassination of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on February 22, 2002, Dembo became the President of UNITA. However, Dembo was also wounded in the same attack that killed Savimbi and, already weakened by diabetes, died three days later.

Antonio Dembo joined UNITA in 1969. He became UNITA's Vice President in 1992 when the Angolan Civil War resumed, succeeding former UNITA Vice President Jeremias Chitunda, who was assassinated by the Angolan government in Luanda in 1992.

Dembo's succession of Savimbi had been pre-ordained by Savimbi and the UNITA leadership. In 1997, Savimbi and the UNITA leadership named Dembo Savimbi's successor in the event of Savimbi's death. Consistent with this pre-ordained succession, Dembo assumed leadership of UNITA immediately following Savimbi's February 22, 2002 death in combat.