Events relating to angola

The Portuguese establish a further presence on the west coast of Africa, at the mouth of the Congo river

The MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) is formed as a guerrilla movement to end Portuguese rule

The FNLA is established, with US support, as a guerrilla group to fight for a non-communist independent Angola

The independence of Angola is established in the Alvor agreement between Portugal and three rival guerrilla groups, the MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA

The MPLA, controlling the capital but not the country, declares itself the government of newly independent Angola

UNITA and the FNLA join forces to set up a rival Angolan government at Huambo, in the south of the country

In Angola the USA and USSR fund rival guerrilla groups, MPLA and UNITA

Cuban troops, sent by Castro to Angola, clash with South African forces attempting to combat communism

UNITA revives the Angolan civil war after the MPLA wins a decisive election victory

UNITA's widespread advance in Angola's long civil war brings terror and starvation

The death of Jonas Savimbi is soon followed by the disbanding of UNITA and the end of 27 years of Angolan civil war