Angola's Conflict: A Historical Overview

The Angolan Civil War was a conflict that began in 1975 and continued, with interludes, until 2002. The war was a power struggle between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements: the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The conflict was also fuelled by ethnic tensions and international pressures, with the MPLA receiving support from the Soviet Union and Cuba, and the UNITA receiving support from the US and South Africa. The civil war resulted in devastating consequences for Angola, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and over a million internally displaced.

The Angolan Civil War was a power struggle between three liberation movements

The three liberation movements were the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The MPLA was a communist organisation with its support base among the Ambundu people and the multiracial intelligentsia of cities such as Luanda. It was backed by Cuba, the Soviet Union, and several African countries. The FNLA, rooted among the Bakongo people, had strong ties with Mobutu Sese Seko's regime in neighbouring Zaire and was initially supported by the People's Republic of China. UNITA, an offshoot of the FNLA, was led by Jonas Savimbi and had the support of the Ovimbundu, Angola's largest ethnic group. It was backed by the United States and South Africa.

Following Angola's independence, a power-sharing agreement was reached between the three movements. However, this agreement quickly collapsed, and the country descended into civil war as each group vied for sole power. The MPLA, with backing from Cuba and the Soviet Union, managed to consolidate power in Luanda and oust the US-supported FNLA from the capital. UNITA, the weakest militarily but with the greatest potential electoral support, established a rival government in Huambo with the support of South African forces. The MPLA, now in control of the capital, declared itself the government of independent Angola and was recognised by many African countries.

The civil war was characterised by periods of major fighting interspersed with fragile periods of peace. It resulted in devastating consequences for Angola, including severe damage to infrastructure, public administration, the economy, and religious institutions. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 800,000 people died, over a million were internally displaced, and landmines continue to cause civilian casualties.

The conflict was a Cold War battleground, with the US and USSR supporting different factions

The Angolan Civil War was a Cold War battleground, with the US and USSR supporting different factions. The conflict began in 1975, immediately after Angola gained independence from Portugal, and continued with interludes until 2002. The war was a power struggle between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements: the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

The MPLA and UNITA had different roots in Angolan society and incompatible leaderships, despite their shared aim of ending colonial rule. The MPLA was largely composed of Mbundu people and was based in the capital, Luanda. It was supported by the Soviet Union, Cuba, and other African countries. On the other hand, UNITA was founded by Jonas Savimbi, a prominent former leader of the FNLA, and was mainly composed of the Ovimbundu people, Angola's largest ethnic group. UNITA was supported by the US and South Africa.

During the Angolan Civil War, the superpowers and their allies delivered military assistance to their preferred clients. The US supplied aid and training to UNITA, while the Soviet Union provided military training and equipment to the MPLA. Cuba also played a significant role, sending thousands of troops to support the MPLA.

The conflict in Angola developed into a Cold War proxy conflict, with the US and USSR, along with their respective allies, assisting the opposing factions. The war resulted in devastating consequences for Angola, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and over a million people internally displaced. It also severely damaged the country's infrastructure, public administration, economy, and religious institutions.

The MPLA was a Marxist organisation, with support from the Soviet Union and Cuba

The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) was a Marxist organisation with support from the Soviet Union and Cuba. The MPLA was led by Agostinho Neto and was based in the capital city of Luanda. The MPLA was largely composed of Mbundu people and had the support of the multiracial intelligentsia of cities such as Luanda, Benguela and Huambo.

The MPLA was formed in 1956 when the underground Angolan Communist Party (PCA) merged with the Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola (PLUAA). Other groups that later merged into the MPLA include the Movement for the National Independence of Angola (MINA) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Angola (FDLA). The armed wing of the MPLA was the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA), which later became the national armed forces of the country.

The MPLA had long-established relations with Fidel Castro's Cuba. In the Angolan Civil War, Cuba sent significant combat and support personnel contingents to Angola to aid the MPLA. The Soviet Union also aided Cuba and the MPLA government during the war. In addition, Yugoslavia provided financial military support for the MPLA, including $14 million in 1977, as well as Yugoslav security personnel in the country and diplomatic training for Angolans in Belgrade.

The MPLA's first congress was held in 1977, where it adopted Marxism–Leninism as the party ideology and added Partido do Trabalho (Labour Party) to its name. The MPLA remained the de facto government of Angola throughout the civil war and continued to rule afterwards.

UNITA was the weakest in terms of military strength, but had the greatest potential for electoral support

The Angolan Civil War was a conflict between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements: the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The war began in 1975, immediately after Angola gained independence from Portugal, and continued until 2002.

UNITA was the weakest in terms of military strength but had the greatest potential for electoral support. This was due to its support from Angola's largest ethnic group, the Ovimbundu, who constituted about one-third of the country's population. UNITA's leadership was heavily drawn from the Ovimbundu people, and its policies recognised ethnic divisions.

In the 1980s, UNITA was aligned with the United States and apartheid South Africa. However, after the 1992 Angolan general election, UNITA lost its support from the United States and was only backed by South Africa. Despite this, UNITA continued an insurgency until the death of its leader, Jonas Savimbi, in 2002.

UNITA's ability to mine diamonds and sell them abroad also provided funding for the war, even as its support in the Western world and among the local populace diminished.

The Angolan Civil War was notable due to the combination of Angola's violent internal dynamics and the high degree of foreign military and political involvement. The war is widely considered a Cold War proxy conflict, with the Soviet Union and the United States, along with their respective allies Cuba and South Africa, assisting the opposing factions.

The civil war was funded by the sale of Angola's diamonds and oil

Angola's civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, was funded by the sale of the country's diamonds and oil. The war was fought between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements: the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

The MPLA was predominantly Mbundu and Creole, or Mestiço, and communist. They were supported by the Soviet Union, which provided military training and equipment. The MPLA also had long-established relations with Fidel Castro's Cuba and was able to benefit from the protection of Cuban troops.

UNITA, on the other hand, was predominantly Ovimbundu and was a major anti-colonial force. They were supported by the United States, South Africa, and China. UNITA was able to exploit diamond resources and foreign support to fund their fighting.

Angola has large reserves of petroleum and natural gas, concentrated in the maritime zones off the Cabinda exclave and the Congo River estuary. Petroleum was first discovered in 1955, and Angola has since become one of the largest exporters of petroleum in sub-Saharan Africa.

Angola also has large reserves of diamonds, with alluvial diamonds occurring widely over the northeastern quarter of the country and several kimberlite pipe formations that can be mined. Before independence, Angola was the fourth-largest diamond exporter in the world in terms of value. UNITA was able to take control of diamond-rich regions and fund their war efforts through the mining and sale of diamonds.

The sale of Angola's diamonds and oil played a significant role in funding the civil war and allowed both sides to continue the conflict for almost three decades.

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