The dispute arose after President João Lourenço decreed the setting up of a government commission to arrange a state funeral for his predecessor in the capital Luanda.
The family, led by his sons, rejected the plan, saying their patriarch wished to be laid to rest in Barcelona for undisclosed reasons. They demanded that their father’s wishes be respected.
Welwitschia dos Santos, a daughter, opposed the state funeral plan due to their disagreements with the Angolan government.
“What are you to my father? Are you his eldest son? Who gave you permission, the effrontery, to be inviting me to my own father’s funeral?” she questioned President Lourenço in a voice message sent to journalists.
On Friday, the president said the Angolan government would organise the funeral and he was counting on everyone, including the family “who are abroad,” to attend.