Silvino da Luz

Silvino Manuel da Luz was born in 1939 on the rugged northern island of Santo Antão. Abandoning service in the Portuguese army, da Luz deserted to join the armed liberation struggle in the forests of Guinea-Bissau, rising to become a senior battlefield commander in the Northern Front.

Following independence in 1975, da Luz served as Minister of Defence and from 1981 to 1991 as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Under his tenure, Cape Verde played a critical secret mediator role in facilitating dialogues that led to the independence of Namibia, the withdrawal of Cuban and South African troops from Angola, and the dismantling of apartheid.