Yesterday was Europe Day

Yesterday was Europe Day!! A date that cannot go unnoticed and that cannot be disregarded in terms of its relative importance compared to others that we celebrate annually.

In the morning news, I was surprised by the warm, vehement, intimate way and all of it surrounded by great praise in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in a direct interview, referred to the date!

There was a moment when I still thought I was hearing that all those generous praises were addressed to the African Continent.

But, I'm mistaken, it's the 10th of May and Africa Day won't be until the next 25th!!

On that date, I hope that your intervention will be much warmer, less juggling, pragmatic and imbued with enough praise. We are, after all, Africans!

Another question that was brought to my attention this evening was that of the Deputy Prime Minister, heading the Government Delegation to the reception alluding to the date, in his toast he asked those present for a minute of silence in honor of the dead soldiers and -certainly playing in the anticipation that is fertile in oratorical terms- to those who in the future will go from “death freeing themselves”… (1)

That is, those who will die in combat or accidents!!

Strange!! Very strange!!

Was he referring to European soldiers? Or to our brave young soldiers who ingloriously lost their lives in Serra da Malagueta? Or even the thousands of African soldiers who have met their death in the fight against the radicalisms that plague our sub-region and our Continent?

What did Mr. Deputy Prime Minister really mean?

Does he himself know the solemn importance and clear reasons-in memoriam- of asking for a minute of silence?

It doesn't seem to me...

(1) And those who by valiant works. They go from the law of death freeing: Verses by Luís de Camões!