Angolan Civil War

The **Angolan Civil War** was a major civil war in the African country of Angola.  It started in 1975 and continued until 2002. The war began right after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The Civil War was mostly a fight for power between two former liberation movements, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Other countries got involved in the war because they wanted their own ideologies to win. This made the Angolan war part of the Cold War. In 2002 the MPLA won.

About 500,000 people died in the war. The war also did a lot of damage to buildings in Angola. Because of all the damage, in 2003 80% of Angolans lacked access to basic medical care, 60% lacked access to water, and 30% of Angolan children would die before the age of 5, with an overall national life expectancy of less than 40 years of age. With the civil war between 1975 and 2002 it was 27 years of fighting.

## Background

In 1575, the Portuguese started to colonize parts of what is now Angola. Before, some of the land was part of the Kingdom of Kongo.

### MPLA

The MPLA was a communist group fighting for Angolan independence. Its leader was Agostinho Neto. They were supported by the Soviet Union.

### UNITA

UNITA was an anti-communist group also fighting for Angolan independence. Its leader was Jonas Savimbi.

### FNLA

FNLA was another anti-communist independence group. Its leader was Holden Roberto. The US gave them money by funneling it through Zaire.

### 1970s

In 1975, Portugal signed the Alvor Agreement with MPLA, UNITA, and FNLA. The agreement said, that, Angola would become independent on 11 November 1975.

## Aftermath

The war destroyed a lot of buildings in Angola.
There are still landmines remaining killing and hurting people.

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Angolan Civil War
- **partof**: the Cold War and the South African Border War
- **image**: Los jefes angolano y cubano del frente este comandantes dangereaux kimenga y carlos fernandez gondin.webp
- **date**: 15 November 1975 -
 27 April 2002
- **place**: Angola
- **result**: MPLA military victory; transition towards

a multiparty political system; dissolution of the armed forces of UNITA and FNLA; participation of these movements, as political parties, in the new political system, from 1991/92 onwards; resistance of FLEC continued beyond 2002
- **combatant1**: Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA
 Cuba
_Supported by:_
 (1975-89)
 East Germany
- **combatant2**: UNITA
 National Front for the Liberation of Angola, FNLA
 Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, FLEC
 (until 1989)
_Supported by:_

- **commander1**: Agostinho Neto
 José Eduardo dos Santos
 Arnaldo Ochoa
 Leopoldo Cintra
 Konstantin Schaganovich
- **commander2**: Jonas Savimbi †
 Holden Roberto
- **strength1**: **Angolan troops:**
* 40,000 - 70,000 (1987)
* 130,000 (2001)

**Cuban troops:**
* 35 000 - 37 000 (1982)
* 60,000 (1988)

**Soviet troops**:
* 1,200 (1985)
- **strength2**: **UNITA militants:**
* 65,000 (1990, highest)

**FNLA militants:**
* 22,000 (1975)
* 4,000-7,000 (1976)

**South African troops**:
* 20,000 (1976)
- **casualties1**: _Unknown_

2,077 killed,
15,000 dead, wounded or missing

54 killed
- **casualties2**: _Unknown_

_Unknown_

2,300 dead
- **casualties3**: Over 500,000 civilians killed
- **caption**: Cuban and Angolan officers consulting a military operation.