Angola's Communist Flag: A Historical Remnant

Angola's flag has a communist appearance due to its resemblance to the flag of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which led the fight against Portuguese colonial rule. The MPLA's flag was a bicolour of red and black with a five-pointed star, symbolising the movement's communist roots. The national flag, adopted in 1975, features the same colours and a similar emblem, with a cog and machete in the style of a hammer and sickle, and a star. The flag's symbolism, however, has evolved to be less party-specific, with red representing the struggle for independence and black symbolising the African continent.

The flag's design and colours

The flag of Angola is a horizontal bicolour of red and black, with a yellow emblem at its centre. The emblem consists of a five-pointed star, a half-gear wheel, and a machete, which together resemble the hammer, sickle, and star of the Soviet flag. The flag was designed by Henrique Onambwé and has been in use since 11 November 1975, when Angola gained independence.

The colours of the flag were originally taken from the flag of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a communist movement that resisted Portuguese colonial rule and became the country's ruling party. The red and black of the MPLA flag referenced the movement's communist connections, with red symbolising socialism and black representing Africa.

Over time, the meanings of the colours on the Angolan flag have shifted to be less party-specific. The red now represents the bloodshed during the colonial period, the struggle for independence, and the defence of the country. The black continues to symbolise Africa, with the colour being common across the continent and often included in flags as a symbol of solidarity.

The yellow emblem at the centre of the flag represents the country's wealth. The gear wheel represents industrial workers and production, the machete represents peasants, agricultural production, and the armed struggle, and the star represents international solidarity and progress.

The flag's symbolism

The flag of Angola features a red and black background, with a yellow machete and half-cog wheel, in the style of a hammer and sickle, and a yellow star at its centre. The flag was first adopted in 1975 and has been the country's official symbol for 45 years, despite attempts to change it.

The red stripe on the flag represents the bloodshed during the anti-colonial revolution against Portugal and the struggle for independence. The black stripe symbolises Africa—the colour is common across the continent and is often included in flags as a symbol of solidarity with Africa.

The central emblem features a star, which represents international solidarity and progress. The half-cog wheel represents factory and industrial workers, and the machete symbolises agricultural workers and peasants, as well as the armed struggle against colonial oppressors. Together, the cog and machete resemble the hammer and sickle of the old Soviet flag.

The flag is based on the one used by the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a significant movement against Portuguese occupation. The MPLA's flag featured the same red and black background, with a simple gold star in the centre, representing the movement's communist roots.

The flag's history

The flag of Angola was first adopted on 11 November 1975, the same day the country gained its independence. The flag is split horizontally with a red stripe on the upper half and a black stripe on the lower half. The colours were taken from the flag of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a communist party that led the resistance against Portuguese colonial rule. The MPLA's flag was a red and black horizontal bicolour with a five-pointed gold star in the centre, representing the movement's communist roots.

The red and black flag of the MPLA was designed in 1959 by António Alberto Neto and was adopted by the party in 1960. The MPLA was one of the most significant movements against Portuguese occupation, and it formed the main opposition to Portugal's military during the Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974). The red in the flag was originally meant to symbolise socialism, while the black represented Africa.

When the MPLA's flag became the basis for the national flag of Angola, the meanings of the colours were changed to be less party-specific. The red was said to represent the bloodshed during the colonial period, the struggle for independence, and the defence of the country. The black continued to symbolise Africa.

In the centre of the national flag is a yellow emblem consisting of a half-gear wheel crossed by a machete and crowned with a five-pointed star. This emblem is similar to the hammer, sickle, and star of the old Soviet flag. The gear represents industrial workers and production, the machete represents the peasantry, agricultural production, and the armed struggle, and the star represents international solidarity and progress. The yellow colour of the emblem represents the country's wealth.

The flag was designed by Henrique Onambwé and has not been changed since it was first adopted in 1975. However, there have been proposals to change the flag, including in 1996 and 2003, but these were not implemented.

The ruling party

The flag of Angola, with its red and black background and yellow machete, cog, and star, is reminiscent of the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union flag. The flag was first adopted in 1975, and its design was inspired by the flag of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the country's ruling party.

The MPLA was one of the most significant movements against Portuguese colonial rule in Angola. In 1961, the MPLA began a revolutionary conflict with the Portuguese government, and their flag was designed in 1959 by António Alberto Neto. The red and black colours of the flag were chosen to reference the movement's communist roots, with the red symbolising socialism and the black Africa. The five-pointed star in the centre of the flag represented the movement's communist connections.

When Portugal withdrew from Angola in November 1975, the MPLA fought for control of the nation against other groups, including the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA). The MPLA emerged victorious, and their flag became the basis for the new national flag of Angola, proclaimed on November 11, 1975.

The MPLA's flag and the national flag of Angola share the same colours and central emblem. The red stripe on the Angolan flag represents the bloodshed during the colonial era and the struggle for independence. The black stripe symbolises Africa, and the yellow colour of the emblem represents the country's wealth. The gear in the emblem stands for industrial workers, the machete for agricultural workers and the peasantry, and the star for international solidarity and progress.

Since the adoption of the flag in 1975, there have been attempts to change it. In 1996, a red, green, and black horizontal tricolour was proposed, which removed references to the MPLA. In 2003, another redesign was suggested, featuring a sun in the centre on a background of red, white, and blue. This flag was intended to be more "optimistic" and to celebrate the end of the civil war. However, both proposals were rejected, with the 2003 proposal suppressed by the ruling MPLA.

Angola's independence

The FNLA was formed in 1954 and recruited from Bakongo refugees in Zaire. They enjoyed favourable political circumstances in Léopoldville, with a shared border and common dialects with Zaire, allowing them to build a strong power base.

UNITA, formed in 1966, was largely an Ovimbundu guerrilla initiative against the Portuguese in central Angola. It was led by Jonas Savimbi and faced challenges due to its geographic remoteness and the ethnic fragmentation of the Ovimbundu people.

The MPLA, formed in 1956, was a Marxist-Leninist coalition resistance movement backed by the Angolan Communist Party. It was predominantly composed of and courted public sector workers from the Ambundu ethnic group. The MPLA received support from the Soviet Union and Cuba, and its flag, featuring red and black horizontal stripes with a yellow star, inspired the current flag of Angola.

Throughout the war of independence, the three groups were hampered by political and military factionalism and their inability to unite against the Portuguese. The Soviet Union and Cuba favoured the MPLA, providing them with arms, ammunition, funding, and training. The MPLA also had to fight a guerrilla war against other groups within Angola.

In 1974, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to the overthrow of the Estado Novo regime and the suspension of Portuguese military activity in Africa. This paved the way for independence negotiations, and the Alvor Accords were signed in January 1975, setting Angola's independence date for November 11, 1975.

However, the ceasefire was not fully respected, and the various factions took advantage of the Portuguese withdrawal to seize strategic positions and acquire more arms. The influx of weapons from external sources, particularly the Soviet Union and the United States, fuelled a new outbreak of hostilities.

The MPLA, with support from Cuba, managed to drive its opponents from Luanda and secure control of the city. Sporadic violence broke out, intensifying with street clashes and the involvement of UNITA after an attack by the MPLA. The CIA began providing substantial covert aid to the FNLA and UNITA, further escalating the conflict.

On November 11, 1975, Agostinho Neto, the leader of the MPLA, declared Angola's independence as the People's Republic of Angola, a one-party Marxist-Leninist state. UNITA and the FNLA also declared independence with different names, and the country descended into a civil war that lasted until 2002.

The current flag of Angola was adopted on November 11, 1975, the day the country gained independence. It features a horizontal red stripe on the upper half and a black stripe on the lower half, with a central emblem of a yellow half-gear wheel crossed by a machete and crowned with a five-pointed star. The red represents the bloodshed during the struggle for independence, while the black symbolises the African continent. The central emblem signifies industrial workers, agricultural production, the armed struggle, and international solidarity.

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