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Former Angola President José Eduardo dos Santos died on Friday at the age of 79, the southern African country's presidency said.

The big picture: Dos Santos, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, led the country for nearly four decades before stepping down in 2017.

He died at a clinic in Barcelona after a prolonged illness, the presidency said in a statement on Facebook.

Under dos Santos' leadership, "Angola fought the continent's longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt nations," AP writes.

Former Angola President dos Santos dies at 79

He was one of Africa's longest-serving rulers.

José Eduardo dos Santos in May 2014. Photo: Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Angola

Former Angola President José Eduardo dos Santos died on Friday at the age of 79, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="southern African country&#x27;s presidency said" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/GovernodeAngola/posts/pfbid0XY9S5Kz9FNhiPYuY5zWnwCDu8HrxQTGaR5gPYa7aTD6prhrCaRWJuPrdum99SExhl?__cft__[0]=AZWfeI36ZjED93-1or7blwNSB2eZHxSZKKqNYtP0rjWgcBQEFcu6bjoXSrjc9ycwkj76hlH3Hre9BxZD_zhZlbieid2TUKiXCqaIZh2ksT1Eq2LgAji0Ilf7zMDzZ_9s-Q0nyOJi-1ZnYrk-vji-_koyM4cAODwloQya9Uk512q-gQ&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" data-vars-content-id="03d1e3cb-ca40-4e77-99fc-bbf49c7482ca" data-vars-headline="Former Angola President dos Santos dies at 79" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/GovernodeAngola/posts/pfbid0XY9S5Kz9FNhiPYuY5zWnwCDu8HrxQTGaR5gPYa7aTD6prhrCaRWJuPrdum99SExhl?__cft__[0]=AZWfeI36ZjED93-1or7blwNSB2eZHxSZKKqNYtP0rjWgcBQEFcu6bjoXSrjc9ycwkj76hlH3Hre9BxZD_zhZlbieid2TUKiXCqaIZh2ksT1Eq2LgAji0Ilf7zMDzZ_9s-Q0nyOJi-1ZnYrk-vji-_koyM4cAODwloQya9Uk512q-gQ&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" target="_blank">southern African country&#x27;s presidency said</a>.The big picture: Dos Santos, one of Africa&#x27;s longest-serving leaders, led the country for nearly four decades before stepping down in 2017.

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Former Angola President dos Santos dies at 79

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