Angola's Historic Day: May 27, 1977

On 27 May 1977, a failed coup d'état attempt took place in Angola, led by the Angolan interior minister Nito Alves and José Van-Dunem, a former political prisoner. The coup was an attempt to overthrow the government of Agostinho Neto, with whom the pair had a number of ideological differences. The coup failed when the MPLA changed the location of a meeting, throwing the plans of the plotters into disarray. The coup was followed by a massacre, in which thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured, and killed.

Failed coup attempt by Nito Alves

On May 27, 1977, Nito Alves, the interior minister of Angola, attempted a coup against the government of Agostinho Neto. This came after increasing factionalism within the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and suspicions that Alves was planning a coup.

Nito Alves was a powerful member of the government and the MPLA. He had successfully put down revolts during the War of Independence and expanded his influence within the MPLA through his control of state media. In 1976, he visited the Soviet Union and may have obtained support for a coup.

Neto called a plenum meeting of the Central Committee of the MPLA, where he formally designated the party Marxist–Leninist, abolished the Interior Ministry, and established a Commission of Enquiry. The commission accused Alves and his followers (known as Nitistas) of fractionism.

On May 21, 1977, Alves and his political ally, Chief of Staff José Van-Dunem, planned to arrest Neto before he arrived at a meeting of the Central Committee. However, the MPLA changed the location of the meeting, disrupting their plans. Alves attended the meeting and was accused of fractionism. After a 12-hour debate, the party voted to dismiss him and Van-Dunem from their positions.

In response, ten armored cars with the 8th Brigade of the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) broke into São Paulo Prison, freeing over 150 Nitistas. The 8th Brigade then took control of the radio station in Luanda and announced their coup, calling themselves the MPLA Action Committee. They called for citizens to demonstrate in front of the presidential palace.

The Nitistas captured generals loyal to Neto, but he had already moved his base of operations to the Ministry of Defence. Cuban troops loyal to Neto retook the palace and radio station, recapturing the latter by 1:30 PM. The Nitistas kidnapped and killed several leaders within the government and the military.

The coup attempt failed, and the Angolan government, with the help of Cuban troops, arrested tens of thousands of suspected Nitistas from May to November. Those found guilty, including Van-Dunem and his wife Sita Valles, were executed and buried in secret graves. At least 2,000 followers of Nito Alves were estimated to have been killed in the aftermath, with some estimates as high as 70,000.

The failed coup had a significant impact on Angola's foreign relations. Alves had favored stronger relations with the Soviet Union, while Neto preferred non-alignment. Despite their differences, both believed the Soviets opposed Neto. As a result, Neto's distrust of the Soviet leadership increased, and relations worsened. The coup attempt also took a toll on the MPLA's membership, which decreased significantly after the first party congress in December 1977.

Thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured and killed

On May 27, 1977, thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured, and killed in Angola. This followed a split in the governing People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party, which had recently led the country to independence. The MPLA accused a group known as the "fractionistas" or "splitters" of staging an attempted coup, while members of the group maintained that they had only organised a mass demonstration to call for political change.

The events of that day had their roots in the growing factionalism within the MPLA during the late 1970s. By this time, Nito Alves, the Angolan interior minister and a powerful member of the government, had become a prominent figure in the party. In 1975, Alves was tasked with clamping down on dissent within the MPLA. He shut down two committees, expanded his influence through control of the media, and visited the Soviet Union, where he may have obtained support for a coup.

By 1977, President Agostinho Neto had grown suspicious of Alves and sought to neutralise him. Neto formally designated the party as Marxist-Leninist, abolished the Interior Ministry, and established a Commission of Enquiry, which he used to target Alves and his followers (known as Nitistas) with accusations of fractionism. On May 21, Alves and his political ally, Chief of Staff José Van-Dunem, began planning a coup against Neto.

On May 27, ten armoured cars with the 8th Brigade of the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) broke into São Paulo Prison, killing the prison warden and freeing more than 150 Nitistas. The 8th Brigade then took control of the radio station in Luanda and announced their coup, calling themselves the MPLA Action Committee. They called on citizens to demonstrate in front of the presidential palace in support of the coup.

In response, Neto called in loyal sections of the army, supported by Cuban troops, and the massacre began. Thousands of people, including many of the country's young intellectuals and party activists, were imprisoned, tortured, and killed. While the exact number of deaths is unknown, estimates range from 2,000 to 90,000.

The aftermath of the coup attempt had a lasting impact on Angola's foreign relations. Alves had favoured stronger relations with the Soviet Union, while Neto preferred a policy of non-alignment. Despite Cuban support for Neto during the coup attempt, his distrust of the Soviet Union increased, and relations worsened.

The events of May 27, 1977, left a traumatic legacy in Angola, with many families still seeking answers about their loved ones who disappeared during the massacre. The true extent of the violence and the role of foreign powers remain the subject of ongoing research and debate.

The purge was aided by Cuban military and security forces

On May 27, 1977, a failed coup d'état attempt took place in Angola, involving a power struggle between the Angolan interior minister Nito Alves and the government of Agostinho Neto.

Cuban troops played a crucial role in suppressing the coup attempt and maintaining security in Angola. They had a strong presence in the country, with upwards of 5,000 men, and their support for Neto was decisive in regaining control. The Cubans retook strategic locations, such as the presidential palace and the radio station, which had been captured by the 8th Brigade—a faction supporting Alves. The Cubans marched to the barracks of the 8th Brigade and recaptured it by 1:30 pm on the same day. This swift action by the Cuban forces helped to neutralize the threat posed by the rebels.

The Cuban troops also provided close air support during the counterinsurgency efforts, with Soviet-supplied aircraft piloted by Cubans. They participated in joint operations with government forces to protect important economic assets, such as the oil industry in Cabinda and the coffee-producing regions of the north. Additionally, they contributed to the training of the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA), trying to convert them into an effective conventional military force. However, the Cubans faced challenges due to the ineptitude and corruption within the Angolan military and police services.

The Cuban presence in Angola extended beyond military support. They actively participated in restoring order in the diamond production areas in the northeast and assisted in the coffee and sugar harvests in northern Angola. The Cubans also played a role in maintaining law and order in Luanda and other regions, providing specialized training to Angolan security personnel, including those responsible for protecting President Neto.

The involvement of Cuban military and security forces was crucial in suppressing the coup attempt and restoring order in Angola. Their expertise, manpower, and firepower proved decisive in regaining control for Neto's government. The Cubans' ability to conduct joint operations, provide close air support, and maintain security played a significant role in the outcome of the events on May 27, 1977.

The coup was in opposition to Neto's multiracial government

On May 27, 1977, a coup d'état attempt took place in Angola, led by the country's interior minister, Nito Alves, against the government of President Agostinho Neto. The coup was in opposition to Neto's multiracial government and his policies of non-alignment, evolutionary socialism, and multiracialism.

Alves had become a powerful member of the government and the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) by the late 1970s. He had successfully put down several revolts and expanded his influence within the MPLA through his control of the state media. He visited the Soviet Union in October 1976 and may have obtained support for a coup against Neto. However, Neto became suspicious of Alves' growing power and sought to neutralize him.

Neto called a plenum meeting of the Central Committee of the MPLA, where he formally designated the party as Marxist-Leninist, abolished the Interior Ministry, and established a Commission of Enquiry. The commission targeted Alves and his supporters, known as Nitistas, with accusations of fractionism. Alves and his political ally, Chief of Staff José Van-Dunem, then began planning a coup against Neto.

On May 21, 1977, the Nitistas held a Grand Assembly of supporters in Luanda, where they announced the expulsion of Alves and Van-Dunem from the MPLA. The coup attempt took place on May 27, with ten armored cars from the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) breaking into São Paulo Prison, freeing more than 150 Nitistas, and then taking control of the radio station in Luanda. They called themselves the MPLA Action Committee and called for citizens to demonstrate in front of the presidential palace.

The coup attempt was unsuccessful, and the Nitistas were defeated by Cuban troops loyal to Neto. Thousands of suspected Nitistas were arrested, tried in secret courts, and executed. The coup attempt had a significant impact on Angola's foreign relations, particularly with the Soviet Union, and it also affected the MPLA's membership, which decreased significantly in the following years.

The coup was in direct opposition to Neto's multiracial government and his policies of non-alignment and evolutionary socialism. Alves and his supporters objected to the inclusion of mestizos and whites in the government, arguing that they held a disproportionate amount of power in a predominantly Black country. They also criticized Neto's foreign policy, particularly his non-alignment stance, and favored stronger relations with the Soviet Union.

The coup was supported by the Organização dos Comunistas de Angola (OCA)

On May 27, 1977, a coup attempt took place in Angola, led by the country's interior minister, Nito Alves, against the government of Agostinho Neto. The coup attempt was a result of factionalism within the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which had been a major challenge to Neto's power.

The Organização dos Comunistas de Angola (OCA) supported the coup attempt. The OCA was a Maoist-inspired group formed in 1975 from the Amílcar Cabral Committees (CAC), which had emerged from the student movement at the University of Luanda following political changes in Portugal. The CACs initially played a significant role in political mobilisation in Luanda and later extended their influence beyond student circles, helping to organise (and provide self-defence for) the residents of the city's poor neighbourhoods, or musseques.

The CACs "critically" supported the MPLA leadership of Agostinho Neto against rival factions and opposition groups, and their influence grew to the point where they were granted a non-voting representative on the MPLA's Central Committee. However, as Neto consolidated his position, the CAC began to be marginalised, particularly by the rising faction of Nito Alves, which was close to the Portuguese Communist Party. The MPLA leadership also accused the CAC of trying to build "a party within the party" and demanded a list of their activists who had joined the MPLA, which was not provided.

In September 1975, the CAC dissolved and gave rise to the OCA, which operated clandestinely. The OCA opposed the MPLA government, denouncing its "social-imperialism" and calling for the withdrawal of Cuban troops from the country. The OCA was repressed by the MPLA regime and its political police, the DISA. Several waves of repression took place, with OCA leaders arrested in 1976 and about 100 militants imprisoned in 1978. An international campaign, largely driven by sectors linked to the Portuguese Democratic Popular Union, eventually led to the release of OCA and former CAC prisoners in 1980.

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