After extensive conflict between 1961 and 1974, Portugal agreed to begin the process of decolonization and by the Decree of 25 April 1974 created the African countries of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé e Principe. This was precipitated by the collapse of the Estado Novo dictatorship in Portugal, that year. The Alvor Agreement, was drafted the following January, laid out the terms of independence for Angola. Among the terms were provisions for nationality which specified that those born in Angola, unless they chose to retain other nationality, would become Angolan nationals on 11 November 1975. It also provided that persons residing in Angola who were not born there, Angolan-born persons living in Portugal, and Portuguese nationals domiciled in Angola would have their legal status clarified in law. Before statutes could be drawn or elections held for a constitutional convention, political factions in Angola resumed fighting. In an attempt to settle the nationality question of those in the new countries, Portugal promulgated Decree-Law 308/75 on 24 June 1975. Its terms assumed that Angolan nationality would be provided to inhabitants of the territory and proclaimed that those who would not lose Portuguese nationality at indpendence included only persons born in Portugal but living abroad and persons born abroad in the territory but who had established long-term ties with Portuguese culture by living in Portugal. No option was offered to other Portuguese nationals to retain their status and the automatic loss of nationality left many former colonial nationals stateless.