1. The Angolan War 1975-88 This presentation covers the two most important phases (the beginning & end) The civil war in 1975 1987-88; the battle to destroy Unita (by the Cubans & MPLA) and attempts to prevent this by the SADF- battle of Lomba river and defence of Cuito Cuanavale; final push by Cubans in June 1988 in the south-west of Angola Read notes on the outbreak of the 1975 war and the events till 1988 (see link on intranet grade 12 site).

2. By 1975 the stage was set for the Cold War shifting across into Africa as a “hot” proxy war. (like Vietnam and the Middle East). The Cuban government wanted to spread the socialist revolution of their own country (a third-world communist state) into Africa. Here they had USSR support. The US government were concerned about growing communist influence in Africa; but after Vietnam did not want to commit their own combat troops. Therefore, they gave the FNLA and UNITA some limited support in terms of arms. The South African government wanted a non-communist neighbor in Angola who would not give sanctuary to SWAPO launching attacks into Namibia. The South African government assumed that if they launched any military assault against the MPLA and Cubans, then the US would provide support. This did not happen and only resulted in even more Cuban troops coming into Angola with Soviet support. Effectively the USSR (with Cuba supplying the troops) and USA took sides (But the US government in a sense was using the SADF as its “Cubans”) But the US government also did not want to appear close to the SA government because of the latter’s apartheid policies. The SA government’s main concern was to try and ensure that SWAPO military operations into Angola were limited or completely stopped. Therefore by mid-1975 there were several national agendas all centered around one country – Angola, at the height of Cold War tensions.

3. The attack by SADF troops in late 1975 drove deep into Angola; although they outfought the Cuban troops, the South Africans found themselves often outgunned by Cuban Soviet-supplied multiple rocket launchers (the so-called Stalin-Organ. Faced with increasing numbers of Cuban reinforcements and without American support, which had been intimated would be provided., the SADF troops withdrew The MPLA supported by the Soviets and Cubans became the Angolan one-party state government. SWAPO continued to receive support from new Angolan government and their guerillas still crossed the border into Namibia. MAP SOWING THE 1975 SADF ADVANCE INTO ANGOLA

4. MAP SHOWING THE OPERATIONAL AREA OF NORTHERN NAMIBIA AND SOUTHERN ANGOLA UNITA HAD THEIR MAIN BASE AT JAMBA – FROM THE BEGINNING OF 1987 THE MPLA GOVERNMENT WITH CUBAN AND SOVIET SUPPORT BEGAN A PARTICULARLY LARGE ARMS BUILD UP CENTRED AROUND MAVINGA. THE INTENTION WAS TO MOVE SOUTH AND DESTROY UNITA WITH CONVENTIONAL WARFARE WEAPONRY (TANKS, AIRCRAFT, ARTILLERY) THIS WASS EQUIPMENT WHICH UNITA COULD NOT COMBAT- THEREFORE THE SADF MOVED IN LIMITED NUMBERS OF TROOPS WITH AIR SUPPORT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE NEW ARTILLERY BUILT IN SOUTH AFRICA (THE G5 GUN) THIS ARTILLERY HAD BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARMS INDUSTRY AFTER THE LESSONS LEARNT BY THE SADF IN 1975.

5. The G5 was the best artillery piece of this type available anywhere. It outranged Anything the Cubans or FAPLA (MPLA troops) had.

6. SADF ARTILLERY IN ACTION DEEP IN ANGOLA DURING LATE 1987. THIS WAS THE WEAPON THAT MADE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE!

7. The FAPLA/CUBAN offensive towards Jamba Note direction of arrows – this “push” was with tanks and armoured troop carriers intended to destoy UNITA. The SADF then gave limited conventional warfare support – using about 3000 troops equipped with G5 artillery, vehicle mounted anti-tank missiles, tanks, armoured cars with infantry in Ratels.

8. FAPLA FORCES AND THEIR CUBAN SUPPORT RECEIVED A MASSIVE DEFEAT FROM THE SADF IN OCTOBER 1987 AT THE LOMBA RIVER BATTLE. IT WAS THIS HUGE DEFEAT THAT PROMPTED CASTRO TO DEPATCH HIS BEST TROOPS AND WAR EQUIPMENT TO ANGOLA. CASTRO WAS DESPERATE TO PULL HIS FORCES OUT BUT WITHOUT THEM LEAVING ON SUCH A LOW NOTE. GENERAL JANNIE GELDENHUYS, THE SADF CHIEF, COMPARED THE BATTLE TO A RUGBY GAME WHERE ONE SIDE WAS “CAMPED” THE WHOLE MATCH IN THE OTHER SIDE’S HALF – AND SCORED A DEVASTATING TRY. READ THE INTRANET NOTES WERE THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO LOMBA RIVER ARE EXPLAINED.

9. JONAS SAVIMBI THE UNITA LEADER AND HIS TROOPS.

10. ALTERNATE VIEWS ON THE “BATTLE OF CUITO CUANUVALE” (BECAUSE THE SADF WITHDREW AND PRESSED NO ATTACK ON THIS POSITION, THE ANGOLANS/CUBANS AND ANC ANOUNCED IT A “MILITARY VICTORY”) IN FACT IT WAS NOT THE SADF INTENTION TO TAKE CUITO; THEY HAD STOPPED THE ATTACK ON UNITA AND WERE WITHDRAWN.

13. PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS PICKED UP ON BATTLEFIELD BY SADF TROOPS

16. OCT 1987 – THE BATTLE OF LOMBA RIVER – A HUGE DEFEAT FOR FAPLA FORCES AND THEIR CUBAN ADVISORS AFTER THIS, CASTRO ORDERED EXTENSIVE CUBAN TROOP AND AIRCRAFT REINFORCEMENTS INTO ANGOLA.

25. JUNE 1988- CUBAN TROOPS SUDDENLY MOVED TOWARDS THE SOUTH-WEST OF ANGOLA – THE SADF WERE CONCERNED THEY WOULD ATTEMPT AN ATTACK OVER INTO NAMIBIA; THEREFORE PROVOKED THE CUBANS INTO BATTLE NEAR TECHIPA – THE CUBANS SUFFERED SEVERE LOSSES FROM G5 ARTILERY IN PARTICULAR, BUT SUCCEEDED IN LAUNCHING A SUDDEN AIR ATTACK ON CALUEQUE DAM – ONE BOMB WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR THE DAM HIT A SADF BUFFEL KILLING 12 TROOPS. THE SCENE WAS SET FOR FULL WAR – BUT NEGOTIATIONS ENDED THE CONFLICT. CUBAN TROOPS WITHDREW AND IN 1990 NAMIBIA BECAME INDEPENDENT.

26. SITE OF CLASH BETWEEN CUBAN AND SADF FORCES IN JUNE 1988 CUBAN MIGS BOMB DAM, JUNE 1988 WITH 12 SADF TROOPS KILLED.

29. LOSSES ON BOTH SADF AND CUBAN/FAPLA MILITARY FORCES BY THE END OF THE ANGOLAN WAR – 1987-1988.

30. THE WAR IN ANGOLA OCCURRED AS THE COLD WAR WAS SLOWLY ENDING – WITHIN A YEAR GOBACHEV’ GLASTNOST POLICIES WERE SWEEPING THROUGH EASTERN EUROPE. NAMIBIA WAS INDEPENDENT BY 1990 FW DE KLERK UNBANNED THE ANC AND NEGOTIATIONS BEGAN IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR A NEW CONSTITUTION. THE CUBAN TROOPS HAD BEEN SENT TO ESTABLISH AND DEFEND ONE-PARTY STATE SOCIALISM – THIS WAS NOT ACHIEVED IN SOUTH AFRICA, NAMIBIA OR ANGOLA. ABOUT 4000 CUBAN TROOPS DIED IN ANGOLA BETWEEN 1975 AND 88. THERE ARE VERY FEW LINKS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE BETWEEN CUBA AND ANGOLA TODAY. CUBAN SOCIALISM SEEMS DESTINED TO DISAPPEAR IN THE LONG TERM ANGOLA IS SLOWLY STILL RECOVERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF A WAR WHICH LASTED NEARLY THREE DECADES, FROM THE FIRST ATTACKS ON THE PORTUGUESE IN 1961.