Angola's president says he won't run in this year's election

FILE - In this file photo dated April 12, 2008, Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos arrives at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, Zambia. dos Santos announced Friday Feb. 3, 2017, in an address to his ruling MPLA party that he will not run in elections scheduled for August 2017, ending his 38 years in power. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, FILE) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday, June 9, 2015, Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, second right, during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. dos Santos announced Friday Feb. 3, 2017, in an address to his ruling MPLA party that he will not run in elections scheduled for August 2017, ending his 38 years in power.(Wang Zhao/FILE via AP) (The Associated Press)

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is announcing an end to his 38 years in power.

The Portuguese news agency Lusa says dos Santos announced Friday in an address to his ruling MPLA party that he will not run again in this year's election

One of Africa's longest-serving leaders, dos Santos has led Angola since 1979. The oil-rich southern African nation was ripped by civil war until 2002.

In March last year, reports said dos Santos told the ruling party he would leave politics in 2018.

Dos Santos says defense minister Joao Lourenco will be the ruling party's candidate for president in the election set for August. Dos Santos remains the head of the party.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/angolas-president-says-he-wont-run-in-this-years-election