DILI, 13 June 2026 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, accompanied by Minister of Public Works Samuel Marçal, on Friday, inaugurated the new headquarters of the Timor-Leste Youth and Students Organisation (OJETIL) in Bidau Lecidere, Dili, and handed over the building’s keys to the organisation’s Secretary-General, José Manuel Fernandes “Nakfilak”.
The ceremony marked the official handover of the building, completed in 2018. It served as a tribute to the role of Timorese youth in the national liberation struggle and in the process of state-building and national development.
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of youth organisations and argued that the new headquarters should serve as a space for dialogue and reflection on the country’s future.
“We may wear different colours, but we share a single goal: to develop Timor-Leste. We must stand united, and that is what keeps us from being divided,” said Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
The Head of Government also emphasised that the building should convey the values and experiences of the Timorese resistance to future generations.
“This space will be dedicated to future generations, with a strong commitment to our country,” he said.
The Prime Minister also added that the space is intended not only to hold meetings but also to promote ideas and initiatives that contribute to national development.
“The process of building the state and the nation is neither at a standstill nor will it happen on its own. It is for the Timorese to make it a reality,” he emphasised.
The Minister of Public Works, Samuel Marçal, noted that the delay in the building’s completion was not due to construction-related issues but to differences of opinion among members of the organisation, which have since been resolved.
“I believe that today we are handing over this headquarters to OJETIL so that it may serve as a common home for everyone, particularly our comrades in the resistance who have organised themselves within OJETIL,” he said.
OJETIL Secretary-General José Manuel Fernandes “Nakfilak” noted that differences of opinion ultimately became an opportunity to strengthen the organisation and to establish a common space for former members of the resistance and for new generations.
“This space is not just for holding meetings but also for presenting alternative solutions for our country’s development,” he said.
José Manuel Fernandes also recalled a piece of advice given by Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão to young people in the resistance, which continues to serve as a guiding principle for the organisation: “Keep proclaiming that the struggle continues but focus on ways to develop this country and its people,” he reminded them.
OJETIL’s new headquarters is expected to incorporate citizenship education programmes and integrated agricultural development initiatives, as well as spaces to foster debate and present proposals for national development.
Several members of the 9th Constitutional Government attended the ceremony, including the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai; the Minister of Defence, Rear Admiral Donaciano da Costa Gomes “Pedro Klamar Fuik”; and the Secretary of State for Media, Expedito Loro Dias Ximenes.
Former Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araújo, members of the National Parliament, veterans, and former combatants—including AlinLaek—were also present, as were members and representatives of OJETIL and other clandestine resistance organisations that participated in the resistance during the occupation.
OJETIL’s new headquarters aims to preserve the memory of Timorese youth’s participation in the struggle for independence and to serve as a space for education, debate, and civic engagement, supporting future generations and Timor-Leste’s development.
TATOLI
