10. Angolan Civil War 1975-2002
Portugal colonized Angola in 1575 and did little to change the distinctive ethnic cultures and tribal regions. Some Portuguese became farmers but the majority of them held positions in government, public administration, and industry. Ethnic Angolans were prohibited from such roles. At the end of the 19th century, Portugal became more controlling in order to protect the wealth of oil and diamonds from other European powers. In 1975, Angola achieved independence and the Portuguese Angolans fled, leaving no trained natives to run the new nation. Angola fell into an economic depression and civil war.
The Angola Civil War had three phases. The first was from 1975-1991, the second from 1992-1994, and the third from 1998 to 2002. The main power struggle occurred between the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The civil war destroyed infrastructure, economic structures, and religious institutions, making governance impossible. Yet, Angolans did not fight the war alone. In the heat of the Cold War, the United States covertly provided military aid to the UNITA while the Soviet Union provided aid to the MPLA making the war an international affair.
Oil companies exploited the large reserves, paying the UNITA government. The UNITA operated state-owned diamond mining with DeBeers controlling the monopoly, earning $3 billion between 1992-1998. Money went to purchase weapons from the US and its allies. Russia shipped a freighter full of ammunition to the MPLA in September 2002, allowing for an MPLA victory. When the war ended, Angola had become a humanitarian disaster. Almost 5 million people had been displaced. Most of the population had no access to medical care, over half had no access to drinking water, and the overall life expectancy was less than 40 years old.