Angola

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Angola

President José Eduardo dos Santos Prime Minister Fernando dos Santos Ministers National Assembly Political parties MPLA - UNITA - PLD - FNLA Elections: 2008 legislative 2009 presidential Provinces Municipalities Civil war Foreign relations

Other countries · Atlas  Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Portuguese: União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Politics of Angola takes place in a framework of a presidential Republic, whereby the President of Angola is both Head of state and Head The President is both Head of state and Head of government in Angola. José Eduardo dos Santos (born August 28, 1942) is the current President of Angola, having served in that position since 1979 The Prime Minister is a high government official in Angola, but is not the head of government Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, known as Nandó (born March 5, 1950) is an Angolan politician currently serving as President of the The National Assembly (Portuguese Assembleia Nacional is the legislative branch of the government of Angola. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA has ruled Angola under a Dominant-party system since independence in 1975 The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party The Liberal Democratic Party (Partido Liberal Democrático is a liberal party in Angola, and is a member of Liberal International. The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola is a militant organization that fought for Angolan independence from Portugal Angola elects on national level a Head of state - the President - and a Legislature. A legislative election was held in Angola on September 5 and September 6 2008 as announced by President José Eduardo dos Santos on December 27 2007 Angola will hold presidential elections between May and August 2009. See also ISO 3166-2AO, the ISO codes for Angola The Provinces of Angola are divided into 157 municipalities (municípios The Angolan Civil War began in Angola after the end of the war for independence from Portugal in 1975 The foreign relations of Angola are based on Angola's strong support of U Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA has ruled Angola under a Dominant-party system since independence in 1975 UNITA, founded in 1966, fought against the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) during the War for Independence (1961-1975) and the ensuing civil war (1975-2002). The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party The Angolan War of Independence (1961&ndash1974 Civil disobedience (1948-1959 See also 1950s in Angola The Portuguese Colonial Act passed on June The Angolan Civil War began in Angola after the end of the war for independence from Portugal in 1975

The war was one of the most prominent Cold War proxy wars, with UNITA receiving military aid from the People's Republic of China^[1] and later the United States and South Africa while the MPLA received support from the Soviet Union and its allies. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the A proxy war is the war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[2]

From its foundation until his death in 2002, UNITA was led by Jonas Savimbi. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi ( August 3, 1934 &ndash February 22, 2002) led UNITA, an anti-Communist rebel group that fought against

Contents 1 Founding 2 Civil war 3 Guerrilla movement 4 1980s 5 1990s 6 2000s 7 Foreign support 7.1 United States 8 See also 9 External links 10 References

Founding

Jonas Savimbi and Antonio da Costa Fernandes founded UNITA on March 13, 1966 in Muangai in Angola's Moxico province. Jonas Malheiro Savimbi ( August 3, 1934 &ndash February 22, 2002) led UNITA, an anti-Communist rebel group that fought against Antonio da Costa Fernandes served as UNITA 's representative to the United Kingdom. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. UNITA launched its first attack on Portuguese colonial authorities on December 25 that same year. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian ^[3] 200 other delegates were present in the event. ^[2]

Savimbi was originally affiliated with Holden Roberto's FNLA. Holden Álvaro Roberto ( January 12, 1923 &ndash August 2, 2007) founded and led the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola is a militant organization that fought for Angolan independence from Portugal UNITA later moved to Jamba in Angola's southeastern province of Cuando Cubango. Jamba is a town in Angola, located in the southeastern province of Cuando Cubango, just north of the Namibian border along the Caprivi Strip UNITA's leadership was drawn heavily from Angola's majority Ovimbundu ethnic group and its policies were originally somewhat Maoist, perhaps influenced by Savimbi's early training in China. The Ovimbundu are an ethnic group consisting of traders farmers and herders who live on the Bié Plateau of central Angola. Maoism, variably and officially known as Mao Zedong Thought ( is a variant of Marxism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National They aimed at rural rights and recognized ethnic divisions. In later years, however, UNITA would become more aligned with the United States espousing, at least rhetorically, support for democracy and free market political and economic change in Angola. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers

Civil war

Main article: Angolan Civil War

After the Portuguese withdrawal from Angola in 1974-75 and the end of their colonial rule, the MPLA and UNITA splintered, and civil war began as the movements clashed militarily and ideologically. The Angolan Civil War began in Angola after the end of the war for independence from Portugal in 1975 The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho is an Angolan political party MPLA leader Agostinho Neto became the first president of post-colonial Angola. António Agostinho Neto (September 17 1922 &ndash September 10 1979 served as the first President of Angola (1975&ndash1979 leading the Popular Movement for the Liberation Backed by Soviet and Cuban money, weapons and troops, the MPLA defeated the FNLA militarily and forced them largely into exile. The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola is a militant organization that fought for Angolan independence from Portugal UNITA also was nearly destroyed in November 1975, but it managed to survive and set up a second government in the provincial capital of Huambo. For Huambo the location in Amazonas, Peru, see Huambo District Huambo is the capital of Huambo province in UNITA was hard-pressed but recovered with South African aid and then was strengthened considerably by U. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa S. support during the 1980s. The MPLA's military presence was strongest in Angolan cities, the coastal region and the strategic oil fields. But UNITA controlled much of the highlands interior, notably the Bié plateau, and other strategic regions of the country.

Guerrilla movement

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Savimbi sought out vastly expanded relations with the U. S. He received considerable guidance from the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative research institute in Washington, D.C. that maintained strong relations with both the Reagan administration and the U. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by S. Congress. Michael Johns, the Heritage Foundation's leading expert on Africa and Third World Affairs issues, visited with Savimbi in his clandestine southern Angolan base camps, offering the UNITA leader both tactical military and political advice. Michael Johns (born September 8, 1964 in Allentown Pennsylvania) is an American Health care executive former Federal government

In perhaps Savimbi's greatest accomplishment in his relations with the U. S. , U.S. conservatives convinced President Ronald Reagan to meet with Savimbi at the White House in 1986. Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence While the meeting itself was confidential, Reagan emerged from it with support and enthusiasm for Savimbi's efforts, stating that he could envision a UNITA "victory that electrifies the world," suggesting that Reagan saw the outcome of the Angolan conflict as critical to his entire Reagan Doctrine foreign policy, consisting of support for anti-communist resistance movements in Central America, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the

Under Savimbi's leadership, UNITA proved especially effective militarily before and after independence, becoming one of the world's most effective armed resistance movements of the late 20th century. Savimbi's very survival in Angola in and of itself was viewed as an incredible accomplishment, given the number of well-planned assassination attempts that he survived, aided by extensive Soviet, Cuban, and East German military troops, advisors, and support. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state

As Savimbi gained ground despite the forces aligned against him, American conservatives pointed to his success, and that of Afghan mujahideen, both of which, with U. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, A Mujahid (Arabic ar مجاهد, literally "struggler" is a Muslim involved in a Jihad, id est fighting in a war or S. support, were successfully opposing Soviet-sponsored governments, as evidence that the U. S. was beginning to gain an upper hand in the Cold War conflict and that the Reagan Doctrine was working. Critics, on the other hand, responded that the support given Savimbi and the Afghan mujahideen was inflaming regional conflicts at great expense to these nations and even risking the potential of nuclear war between the superpowers.

1980s

Fighting in Angola continued until 1989, when, with UNITA advancing militarily, Cuba withdrew its support, removing the 50,000 troops that it had dispatched to Angola to fight Savimbi's UNITA. With the Cold War perceived as possibly coming to an end, Savimbi's U. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the S. support, which had been strong, began to be questioned, with some in Congress urging the end of U. S. support for UNITA. Matters were further complicated by repeated reports that Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev had raised U. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician S. support for UNITA in several formal and informal summit meetings with President George H. W. Bush, placing further pressure on the U. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 S. to end its support for UNITA.

As the war began to include both military and diplomatic components, Johns and leading U. S. conservatives urged Savimbi to make a ceasefire contingent on the MPLA's agreement to "free and fair elections. "^[4] When the UNITA demand was originally rebuffed by the MPLA, Savimbi vastly intensified his military pressure, while alleging that the MPLA was resisting free and fair elections because they feared a UNITA electoral victory. Meanwhile, an agreement was reached that provided for the removal of foreign troops from Angola in exchange for the independence of Namibia from South Africa. The New York Accords granted independence to Namibia and ended the direct involvement of foreign troops in the Angolan Civil War. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast In Angola, however, Savimbi told Johns and conservative leader Howard Phillips that he had not felt adequately consulted on the negotiations or agreement and was in opposition to it. Howard Phillips (born February 6 1941 has served as the Chairman of The Conservative Caucus, a Conservative public policy advocacy group since 1974 "There are a lot of loopholes in that agreement. The agreement is not good at all," Johns reported Savimbi telling both of them during a March 1989 visit with Savimbi in Angola. "^[5]

A ceasefire ultimately was negotiated and MPLA leader José Eduardo dos Santos and the MPLA's Central Committee rejected its Marxist past and agreed to Savimbi's demand for free and fair elections, though UNITA and its supporters viewed the promises skeptically, especially because the MPLA's relations with the former Soviet Union remained strong. José Eduardo dos Santos (born August 28, 1942) is the current President of Angola, having served in that position since 1979

1990s

Following the 1991 Bicesse Accords, signed in Lisbon, United Nations-brokered elections were held, with both Savimbi and dos Santos running for President in 1992. The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, laid out a transition to multi-party Democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Failing to win an overall majority in the first round of balloting, and then questioning the election's legitimacy, Savimbi and UNITA returned to armed conflict. Fighting resumed in October 1992 in Huambo, quickly spreading to Angola's capital, Luanda. For the mystic of the Han Dynasty see Luan Da. Luanda (formerly called Loanda) is the It was here that Jeremias Chitunda, UNITA's long-time vice-president and other UNITA officials were killed while fleeing the city. Jeremias Kalandula Chitunda (1942- November 2, 1992) served as the Vice President of UNITA until his assassination in Luanda, on November 2 1992 Following Chitunda's death, UNITA defensively moved their base from Jamba to Huambo. Savimbi's 1992 decision to return to combat ultimately proved a costly one, with many of Savimbi's U. S. conservative allies urging Savimbi to contest dos Santos electorally in the run-off election. Savimbi's decision to forego the run-off also greatly strained UNITA's relations with then U. S. President George H. W. Bush. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993

As Savimbi resumed fighting, the U. N. responded by implementing an embargo against UNITA. The U. S. government, which had never recognized the legitimacy of the MPLA, finally recognized the Angolan government, further alienating Savimbi. After failed talks in 1993 to end the conflict, another agreement, the Lusaka Protocol, was implemented in 1994 to form a government of national unity. In 1995, U. N. peacekeepers arrived. But UNITA broke away from the Lusaka agreement in 1998, citing violations of it by the MPLA. The following year, in 1999, a MPLA military offensive damaged UNITA considerably, essentially destroying UNITA as a conventional military force and forcing UNITA to return to more traditional guerilla tactics.

2000s

The Angolan civil war ended only after the death of Savimbi, who was killed in an ambush on February 22, 2002. His death was shocking to many Angolans, many of whom had grown up during the Angolan civil war and witnessed Savimbi's ability to successfully evade efforts by Soviet, Cuban and Angolan troops to kill him.

Six weeks following Savimbi's death, in April 2002, UNITA agreed to a ceasefire with the government. Under an amnesty agreement, UNITA soldiers and their families, comprising roughly 350,000 people, were gathered in 33 demobilisation camps under the "Program For Social and Productive Reintegration of Demobilized and War Displaced People". In August, 2002, UNITA officially gave up its armed wing, and UNITA placed all of its efforts on the development of its political party. Despite the ceasefire, deep political conflict between UNITA and the MPLA remains.

Savimbi was immediately succeeded by Antonio Dembo, who died shortly after Savimbi. Following Dembo, in elections contested by General Paulo Lukamba, Dinho Chingunji and Isaías Samakuva, Samakuva won the UNITA election and emerged as UNITA's current president. General Paulo Lukamba "Gato" (born Armindo Lucas Paulo on May 13, 1954) led UNITA, an Anti-Communist rebel group that fought Isaías Henrique Gola Samakuva (born 1946 in Kunji, Bié Province) is the President of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA Over 500,000 Angolans died in the civil war.

Foreign support

UNITA received support from the governments of Bulgaria,^[6] Egypt, France, Israel, Morocco, the People's Republic of China, North Korea (although North Korea later recognized the MPLA government), Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United States, Zaire,^[7] and Zambia. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Republic of Zaire (pronunciation; République du Zaïre was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between October 27, 1971 The Republic of Zambia (ˈzæmbɪə is a Landlocked country in Southern Africa. ^[8][9]

United States

During the Reagan administration high ranking security officials met with UNITA leaders. The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by Central Intelligence Agency Director William J. Casey, National Security Adviser Richard Allen, and Secretary of State Alexander Haig, on March 6, met with UNITA leaders in Washington, D. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all William Joseph Casey ( March 13, 1913 &ndash May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987 Richard or Dick Allen may refer to Dick Allen (b 1942 American baseball player Dick Allen (poet (b The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Alexander Meigs Haig Jr (born December 2 1924 is a retired four-star General in the United States Army who served as the U C. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Walker met with Savimbi in March in Rabat, Morocco. Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, his assistant for International Security Matters Francis West, Deputy Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci, Deputy Director of the CIA Bobby Inman, and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency James Williams met with Savimbi between November 1981 and January 1982. Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger ( August 18, 1917 &ndash March 28, 2006) was an American politician and Secretary Frank Charles Carlucci III (born October 18 1930) is a former government official in the United States, associated with the Republican Party Bobby R Inman (born April 4, 1931 in Rhonesboro Texas) is a retired U James Williams can refer to In American politics: James Williams (Delaware representative (1825&ndash1899 U Although the Clark Amendment forbid U. The Clark Amendment was an amendment to the US Arms Export Control Act of 1976 named for its sponsor Senator Dick Clark (D-Iowa S. involvement in the civil war, Secretary Haig told Savimbi in December 1981 that the U. S. would continue to provide assistance to UNITA. ^[10]

The U. S. government "explicitly encouraged" the governments of Israel, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Zaire to aid UNITA. In 1983 the U. S. and South African governments agreed to ship weapons from the Honduras, Belgium and Switzerland to South Africa and then to UNITA in Angola. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The U. S. also traded weapons with South Africa for intelligence on the civil war. ^[10]

Savimbi was influenced heavily by military and political guidance from influential American conservatives, including The Heritage Foundation's Michael Johns, conservative activist Grover Norquist and other U. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. Michael Johns (born September 8, 1964 in Allentown Pennsylvania) is an American Health care executive former Federal government Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is president of anti- Tax Lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform. S. conservative leaders, all of whom helped elevate Savimbi's stature in Washington and facilitated the transfer of American weapons to his war. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Johns and other American conservatives met regularly with Savimbi in remote Jamba, culminating in the "Democratic International" in 1985. Jamba is a town in Angola, located in the southeastern province of Cuando Cubango, just north of the Namibian border along the Caprivi Strip The Democratic International, also known as the Jamboree in Jamba, was a 1985 meeting of anti-Communist militants held at the headquarters of UNITA in Savimbi later drew the praise of former U. S. President Ronald Reagan, who hailed him as a freedom fighter and spoke of Savimbi winning a victory that "electrifies the world. Freedom fighter is a term to describe those that engage in a struggle to achieve freedom for themselves or to free others in some matter "^[11]

See also

• African independence movements

External links

• UNITA profile at NNDB. The African Independence Movements took place in the 1960s when a wave of struggles for independence in African colonies was witnessed

References

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic