ANGOLA

      Keys events

1975 (15 January)

Alvor Pre-Independence Agreements between Portugal and the three liberation movements of Angola: the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FLNA).

1975 (March-July)

Clashes between the three liberation movements.

1975 (11 November)

Proclamation of the independence of Angola. Agostinho Neto, the head of the MPLA, becomes President of the People’s Republic of Angola (supported by Cuba and the USSR). At the same time, the FLNA and UNITA proclaim the People’s Democratic Republic of Angola (supported by the United States and South Africa).

1975 (November)

Civil war.

1976 (Late January)

Withdrawal of South African forces.

1976 (8 February)

The MPLA takes Huambo, the “capital” of the two allied movements, UNITA and FLNA.

1976 (Mid-February)

Victory of the MPLA. The FNLA gives up the armed struggle. UNITA, having retreated to the south-east of the country, continues guerrilla warfare with the support of the United States and South Africa.

1976 (1 December)

Angola admitted to the UN.

1977 (8 January)

New currency issued, the kwanza.

1977 (27 May)

Attempted coup d’état by a fraction of the MPLA led by Nito Alves.

1977 (July)

Intensification of guerrilla warfare in the south.

1977 (December)

Agostinho Neto re-elected President of the MPLA.

1978 (April)

Violent fighting between the Angolan army, supported by Cuban soldiers, and UNITA.

1978 (4 May)

South Africa bombs Cassinga.

1978 (24/25 June)

Reconciliation between Portugal and Angola.

1978 (19 August)

Reconciliation between Angola and Zaire.

1978 (9 December)

Mr Lopo do Nascimento, the Prime Minister since November 1975, is dismissed. The posts of Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister are abolished.

1979 (11 September)

Death of Agostinho Neto.

1979 (20 September)

José Eduardo dos Santos named by the MPLA to succeed Agostinho Neto.

1980 (June-Oct.)

South African attacks on Angola.

1980 (17 December)

José Eduardo dos Santos is confirmed in his position by the MPLA.

1981-1982

South African attacks in the south of Angola.

1982 (8 December)

Negotiations between Angola and South Africa in Cape Verde to try to put an end to civil war in Angola and the war of liberation in Namibia waged by the South West African Peoples’ Organisation (SWAPO).

1983 (December)

South African air raids.

1984 (16 February)

Agreements in Lusaka between Angola and South Africa. The latter undertakes to withdraw from the south of Angola, while Angola puts an end to SWAPO infiltration.

1984

UNITA still continues its guerrilla warfare against the Luanda regime.

1985 (July-Sept.)

Several South African raids in the south of Angola.

1987 (October)

Failure of the offensive launched against UNITA by the government in Luanda.

1988 (20 February)

South African air raids.

1988 (26 March)

UNITA announces the formation of a provisional government.

1988 (8 August)

Agreement in Geneva between Angola, Cuba (providing military support to Angola) and South Africa on a ceasefire and the withdrawal of South African troops.

1988 (22 December)

Agreement in New York between the three parties on the withdrawal of Cuban troops.

1989 (22 June)

Ceasefire agreement in Gbadolite (Zaire) between the Luanda government (represented by President Dos Santos) and UNITA (represented by its chief, Jonas Savimbi).

1989 (July)

Ceasefire broken.

1990 (January)

Cuba suspends its military withdrawal.

1990 (21 March)

Independence of Namibia.

1990 (24/25 April)

Negotiations resume in Evora (Portugal).

1991 (31 May)

Peace agreement signed in Lisbon.

1991 (20 July)

Fernando José de Franca Dias Van Dunem is appointed Prime Minister.

1992 (29/30 Sept.)

Presidential and general elections. José Eduardo dos Santos is elected President (49.57%) ahead of Jonas Savimbi (40%). The MPLA wins 129 seats, UNITA 70 seats. Jonas Savimbi contests the results.

1992 (Oct.-Nov.)

Clashes between UNITA troops and government forces become more frequent. Civil war resumes.

1992 (27 November)

Marcolino Moco is appointed Prime Minister.

1993 (6 March)

Huambo, the second city of the country, is taken by UNITA.

1993 (July-Sept.)

Violent combats. UNITA controls 85% of the territory.

1993 (26 September)

UN oil and arms embargo on UNITA.

1993 (6 October)

UNITA accepts the results of the elections of 29 September 1992. Negotiations resume between the government and UNITA.

1994 (20 November)

Lusaka peace agreement.

1995 (8 February)

The UN Security Council decides to send a 7,000-strong peace-keeping force (UN Angola Verification Mission, UNAVEM III).

1995 (5 March)

Combats resume.

1995 (6 May)

Meeting in Lusaka between President dos Santos and Jonas Savimbi.

1995 (3 July)

New currency put into circulation, the kwanza reajustado.

1995 (18 July)

Constitutional revision creating two posts of Vice-President of the Republic, one of which is to be reserved for Jonas Savimbi.

1995 (November)

Beginning of operations to bring UNITA troops into army barracks.

1995 (December)

Combats resume between regular forces and UNITA troops in areas in the north under UNITA control.

1996 (4 March)

Angolan currency devalued by 80%.

1996 (10 March)

Agreement on principle between UNITA and the regular army on the integration of the ex-rebels into the future national army.

1996 (3 May)

Fernando Van-Dunem, the Speaker of the National Assembly, is appointed Prime Minister.

1996 (13 November)

Post of Vice-President of the Republic abolished.

1996 (December)

Withdrawal of the first contingent of the UNAVEM III peace-keeping force.

1997 (March/June/August)

Clashes between the government army and the independence fighters of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC).

1997 (31 March)

Agreement between the authorities and UNITA on the formation of a government of national unity.

1997 (8 April)

The UNITA members of parliament, elected in September 1992, officially take office.

1997 (10 April)

Appointment of the 84 members (11 from UNITA) of the new Government of Unity and National Reconciliation (GURN).

1997 (30 June)

The UN creates the Mission of Observation of the UN in Angola (MONUA) to succeed the peace-keeping mission.

1997 (21 July)

The national currency, the kwanzi reajustado, is devalued by 30%.

1997 (28 October)

Sanctions taken by the UN Security Council against UNITA for its failure to respect the peace agreements.

1998 (28 January)

Mandate of MONUA extended for three months.

1998 (11 March)

The government legalises UNITA which becomes a political party.

1998 (29 April)

Mandate of MONUA extended for two months.

1998 (6 July)

Violent clashes between the army of the government and UNITA in the province of Lunda-Norte.

1998 (August)

Angolan troops provide support to President Laurent-Désiré Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

1998 (December)

State of civil war: after the north and the east, hostilities spread to the centre of the country.

1999 (29 January)

President Dos Santos abolishes the post of Prime Minister and takes on the powers of Chief of State, of government and of the armed forces.

1999 (26 February)

End of the UN peace-keeping mission.

1999 (15 October)

Creation of Bureau of the United Nations in Angola (BUNUA) for 6 months.

2000 (4 August)

Angolan forces push back an attack by UNITA.

Up-date currently underway.

Sources used

Afrique contemporaine, quarterly review (La Documentation Française)

AFP Afrique: daily news bulletin from Africa –Agence France Presse

Press Files from the CEAN Document Centre.

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