Mr. José Eduardo dos Santos was born in the capital of Angola, Luanda. He finished primary school and the Luanda National Lyceum.
In 1963-1969 he studied at the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry (USSR). In the university he headed a club of fighters for Angolan independence
In 1974 he was appointed a coordinator of the Foreign Affairs Department of the MPLA party, being its representative in Yugoslavia and the Republic of the Congo. In the same year he became a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the MPLA.
In 1975, after Angola gained independence, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On September 21, 1979 Jose Eduardo dos Santos became the Chairman of the MPLA, President of Angola and Commander-in-Chief of FAPLA (People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola).
In 1980 he became the Chairman of the National Assembly of the People’s Republic of Angola.
Mr. José Eduardo dos Santos made much contribution to the development of the process of peaceful settlement, trying to end the civil war.