Holden Roberto, 84; helped free Angola from Portuguese rule

Holden Roberto, 84, a central figure in Angola's struggle for independence from Portugal, died Thursday in the capital of Luanda, the state newspaper reported. The cause of death was not given.

Roberto founded the National Front for the Liberation of Angola in the early 1960s and presided over the party until his death. He and other leaders signed accords that led to the country's independence in 1975.

Angola then fell into a nearly 30-year civil war in which about 1 million people were killed and millions more were displaced.

Roberto, who moved to Paris after independence, returned to Angola to take part in 1992 elections that were followed by political turmoil.