Angolan Civil War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Angolan Civil War
Part of the Cold War and the South African Border War
Date 1975–2002 Location 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
Belligerents
MPLA  Cuba (1975-1991) Supported by:  Soviet Union (1975-89) East Germany	UNITA FNLA FLEC  South Africa (until 1989) Supported by:  United States  People's Republic of China  Zaire
Commanders and leaders
Agostinho Neto José Eduardo dos Santos Arnaldo Ochoa Leopoldo Cintra Konstantin Schaganovich	Jonas Savimbi † Holden Roberto
Strength
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)	UNITA militants: 65,000 (1990, highest) FNLA militants: 22,000 (1975) 4,000-7,000 (1976) South African troops: 20,000 (1976)
Casualties and losses
Unknown 2,077 killed, 15,000 dead, wounded or missing 54 killed	Unknown Unknown 2,300 dead
Over 500,000 civilians killed

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.

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.

Combatants

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.

War

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.

1980s

1990s

2000s

Effect

The war destroyed a lot of buildings in Angola.

There are still a lot of landmines in Angola from the war. Sometimes they still go off and kill and hurt people.

Images for kids

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  Portuguese Army soldiers operating in the Angolan jungle, in the early 1960s

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  Burning MPLA staff car destroyed in the fighting outside Novo Redondo, late 1975

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  Senator Dick Clark

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  Agostinho Neto, MPLA leader and Angola's first president, meets with Poland's ambassador in Luanda, 1978

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  South African paratroopers on patrol near the border region, mid-1980s.

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  Maximum extent of South African and UNITA operations in Angola and Zambia

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  Map of Angola's provinces, with Cuando Cubango province highlighted.

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  Building in Huambo showing the effects of war

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  Decommissioned UNITA BMP-1 and BM-21 Grads at an assembly point.

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  Savimbi meeting the European Parliament deputies in 1989

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  More than 700 villagers trekked 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Golungo Alto to Ndalatando (red dot), fleeing a UNITA attack. They remained uninjured.

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  Destroyed road bridge in Angola, 2009

See also

In Spanish: Guerra civil angoleña para niños