The most powerful monarch in his country is King Ekuikui VI, who stands in for the Ovimbundu peoples, the largest ethnic group in Angola. Despite not being a sovereign state, Bailundo is significant politically and is frequently consulted by Angolan officials.
The king traveled to Rio’s Valongo Wharf, which is recognized as “the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent.” Up to 900,000 slaves arrived at this UNESCO World Heritage Site after crossing the Atlantic.