Angolan Civil War

Angolan Civil War
Part of	the Cold War (until 1991) and the First & Second Congo War (from 1996 onwards)
Date	11 November 1975 – 4 April 2002 (26 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
Location	Angola
Result	MPLA victory Withdrawal of all foreign forces in 1989. Transition towards a multiparty political system in 1991/92. Dissolution of the armed forces of the FNLA. Participation of UNITA and FNLA, as political parties, in the new political system, from 1991/92 onwards. Jonas Savimbi, leader of UNITA, killed in 2002; UNITA abandoned armed struggle and participated in electoral politics. Resistance of FLEC continued to this day
Belligerents
Angolaball MPLA Cubaball (1975–1991) SWAPO (1975–1991) ANC (1975-1991) Executive Outcomes (1993-1995) FLNC (1975-2001) Namibiaball (2001-2002) Military advisers and pilots: Soviet Unionball (1975-1991) East Germanyball (1975-1989) Yugoslaviaball (1975-1991) North Koreaball (1980s) Brazilball Supported by: Mexicoball Guyanaball
Democratic People's Republic of Angolaball UNITA FNLA (1975-1976) FNLA (1976-1978) South Africaball (1975-1991) Zaireball (1975) Supported by: United Statesball (1975-1991) Moroccoball (1970s) Chinaball (1975) FLEC Supported by: Franceball Zaireball (until 1997) Belgiumball
Commanders
Agostinho Neto (until 1979) † José E. dos Santos Iko Carreira (until 1979) Kundi Paihama António França Lúcio Lara Fidel Castro (until 1991) Antonio Batlle (until 1991) Abelardo Ibarra (until 1991) Arnaldo Ochoa (until 1989) † Vasily Petrov (until 1986) Valentin Varennikov (until 1991) Sam Nujoma (until 1991, from 2001)
Jonas Savimbi (until 2002) † Jeremias Chitunda (until 1992) † António Dembo (until 2002) † Paulo Lukamba D. A. Chilingutila Alberto Vinama (until 1986) † Arlindo Pena Ben-Ben (until 1998) † Holden Roberto (until 1978) Daniel Chipenda (1975) Luis Ranque Franque Henrique N'zita Tiago Rodrigues Mingas Mobutu Sese Seko (1975) John Vorster (until 1979) P. W. Botha (1978-1989)
Strength
MPLA troops: 40,000 (1976) 70,000 (1987) 130,000 (2001) Cuban troops: 36,000 with 400 tanks (1976) 35,000–37,000 (1982) 60,000 (1988) 337,033–380,000 total (supported by 1,000 tanks, 600 armored vehicles and 1,600 artillery pieces) Soviet troops: Altogether 11,000 (1975 to 1991) Brazilian troops: Classified with tens of aircraft (1999–2002)
UNITA troops: 65,000 (1990, highest) FNLA militants: 22,000 (1975) 4,000–7,000 (1976) South African troops: 7,000 (1975–1976) 6,000 (1987–1988)
Casualties
Angolaball: Unknown Cubaball: 2,016–5,000 dead Soviet Unionball: 54 killed
UNITA: Unknown FNLA: Unknown South Africaball: 2,365–2,500 dead (including South African Border War deaths) FLEC: Unknown
Notes
800,000 killed and 4 million displaced Nearly 70,000 Angolans became amputees as a result of land mines

The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the former portugese colony of Angola, by the Soviet supported communist guerillas, against the American-funded rebels of the UNITA, FNLA, Apartheid South Africaball and Zaireball.

Causes:

Ideologically speaking, Angola's three independence movements were at odds after winning Angolan War of Independence. While the MPLA supported Marxist-Leninism and later changed to a social-democratic model, the rural FNLA and UNITA were much more militant and right-wing, the first wanting to reestablish the Congo Empireball and the second wanting more autonomy in a Federalist (capitalist nationalist) Republic among the Angolan ethnicities, and so they soon started to fight for power.

Gallery:

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