But since the cold war ended, it has been more of a crude struggle over money and power. Both sides are well financed. In Huambo, the latest fighting has already had a marked effect. The city had begun to repair the damage of so many years of civil war. But that is over now.
Renovations stand half finished.
The brand new Toyota dealership is locked and empty. Anyone with any money has left for the relative safety of Luanda, Angola's capital. For the time being, there is still food in the market here. Most left their homes in a hurry, running from Unita soldiers, who are notorious for their brutality. Many of the refugees, they say, do not seem to be even trying to survive anymore.