Cabinda War

Last updated
Cabinda War
Part of the Angolan Civil War (until 2002)
Cabinda in Angola.svg
Cabinda exclave (red)
Date8 November 1975 – present [1] [2]
(48 years, 11 months and 15 days)
Location
Cabinda Province
Status

Ongoing

  • Ceasefire declared by FLEC-Renovada in August 2006
  • Ongoing guerrilla warfare by FLEC-FAC
  • Unilateral ceasefire declared by Cabindan militias
    on 30 March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic
Belligerents

Flag of Angola.svg  Angola
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba (until 1991)

Flag of UNITA.svg Democratic People's Republic of Angola (1991)

Military advisers and pilots:

Flag of Cabinda.svg FLEC

Commanders and leaders
Flag of Angola.svg João Lourenço (2017–present)
Flag of Angola.svg Agostinho Neto (1975–1979)
Flag of Angola.svg José Eduardo dos Santos (1979–2017)
Flag of Cuba.svg Fidel Castro (1976–2008)
Flag of Cuba.svg Arnaldo Ochoa   Skull and Crossbones.svg
Flag of East Germany.svg Erich Honecker (1975–1989)
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Leonid Brezhnev (1975–1982) [4] [5] 		Flag of Cabinda.svg António Bento Bembe
Flag of Cabinda.svg Henrique N'zita Tiago
Flag of Cabinda.svg Alexandre Builo Tati
Flag of Cabinda.svg Francisco Xavier Lubota
Flag of Cabinda.svg José Tiburcio Zinga Loemba [3]
Strength
Flag of Angola.svg 87,000 (2013)
Flag of Cuba.svg 2,000
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg 4 [4] [6] [7] 		300–7,000 in total (1975) [ citation needed ]
FLEC-Renovada: 500 (1991)
FLEC-N'zita: 200–300 (1991)
FLEC-FAC: 600 (1992) [3] [6]
Casualties and losses
~30,000 killed[ citation needed ]
25,000 displaced [1] [8]

The Cabinda War is an ongoing separatist insurgency, waged by the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) against the government of Angola. FLEC aims at the restoration of the self-proclaimed Republic of Cabinda, located within the borders of the Cabinda province of Angola.

Contents

Background

The first Western exploration of the area of modern-day Cabinda was undertaken by navigator Diogo Cão in 1483, later falling under Portuguese influence. In 1853 a delegation of Cabindan chiefs unsuccessfully requested the extension of Portuguese administration from the colony of Angola to Cabinda. Local chiefs continued their attempts at cooperating with Portugal until the 1884 Berlin Conference and the 1885 Treaty of Simulambuco, following which the Cabindan enclave became a Portuguese protectorate. Despite the fact that Cabinda held a semi independent status, a new Portuguese government elected in 1956 transferred the region's administration to Angola without a prior agreement with Cabinda's local leadership. [6]

The first Cabindan separatist movement known as Associação dos Indígenas do Enclave de Cabinda (AlEC) was formed in 1956, AIEC advocated the creation of a union between Cabinda and Belgian Congo or French Congo. Associação dos Ressortissants do Enclave de Cabinda (AREC) was founded in 1959 as humanitarian organisation, AREC was renamed into Freedom Movement for the State of Cabinda (MLEC), shifting its role into a political movement promoting self-determination. The National Action Committee of the Cabindan People (CAUNC) and the Mayombé Alliance (ALLIAMA) joined the growing political scene in the same year. In 1963, MLEC, ALLIAMA and CAUNC merged into the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), which had since been the largest self-determination movement in the region. [6]

On the same year, the Organisation of African Unity declared that Cabinda is an independently governed state with its own independence movement. On 10 January 1967, FLEC formed a government in exile based in the town of Tshela, Zaire. In August 1974, FLEC absorbed the Democratic Union of Cabindan Peoples and the Democratic Party of Cabinda, becoming the sole political organisation in Cabinda. [9]

In January 1975 under pressure from Angolan liberation movements, Portugal accepted Cabinda as part of Angola in the Alvor Agreement where the 3 Angolan independence movements (MPLA, UNITA and FNLA) were present, denying Cabinda the right to self-determination previously granted by the U.N. Chart/Right to Self-determination and the Treaty of Simulambuco. On 1 August 1975, FLEC president Luis Ranque Franque announced the formation of the Republic of Cabinda, an independent state. The MPLA troops controlling the region at the time ignored the statement. [9] In November 1975, Angola gained independence from Portugal, claiming Cabinda as part of its territory. The provisional Cabindan government, led by the FLEC, was overturned. On 8 November 1975, FLEC responded by initiating armed struggle, aiming at creating a separate Cabindan state. [2] [10]

Conflict

In the course of the Angolan Civil War, FLEC split into five independent factions. FLEC-Posição Militar (FLEC-PM) was later renamed into FLEC-Renovada (FLEC-R), FLEC-N'Zita, FLEC-Lubota, União Nacional de Libertação de Cabinda (UNLC) and the Communist Committee of Cabinda. As the war continued the MPLA led government attempted to gain the support of the various FLEC factions and enter negotiations. On the other hand, UNITA rebels directly collaborated with FLEC-FAC, while seeking to broaden its alliance with the group. The above did not stop UNITA from occasionally collaborating with MPLA in anti-FLEC operations. In 2002, the Angolan government signed a peace deal with UNITA officially ending the civil war. [3] [11]

Cuba, East Germany and the Soviet Union entered the civil war on MPLA's side in 1975, soon invading Cabinda. [4] [5] According to U.S. intelligence services, France and Belgium allegedly supported FLEC by providing training and financial aid, despite the fact that Zaire remained FLEC's main foreign supporter. FLEC-Renovada received support from a number of US, South African and Japanese right wing organisations as well as the World League for Freedom and Democracy. [6] In 1956, oil was first discovered in the region; by 1966, Gulf Oil Company began commercial exploitation. The large amounts of revenue generated by oil royalties contributed to the rise of Cabinda's geopolitical significance. By 1970, oil revenues amounted to $16 million and were expected to rise to $32–50 million by 1972. Oil continued to play an important role; by 2011 it represented approximately 86% of the Angolan state's total earnings. The marginalisation of the local population in favor of Portuguese and later Angolan interests played an important role in the rise of separatist militancy in the region.[ citation needed ]

On 18 July 2006, the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (FCD) and FLEC-Renovada led by António Bento Bembe signed a second definite cease fire with the Angolan government known as the Memorandum of Understanding for Peace in Cabinda. The event took place in Macabi, Cabinda. The agreement assured Cabinda's status as a part of Angola, provided special economic status and local governance powers to Cabinda, and condemned further acts of insurgency and separatism. The treaty received criticism from Bembe's opponents within the movement. The peace accord marked a sharp decrease in the conflict's intensity.[ citation needed ]

According to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, Cabinda is under military occupation, [12] reinforced in recent times by Angolan forces. [13] This was especially true after the Togo national football team was attacked by the FLEC, when Angola was hosting the 2010 African Cup of Nations. Rebel forces claimed it was a mistake. [14] In 2012, FLEC-FAC announced its readiness to declare a ceasefire and pursue a negotiated resolution to the conflict. [15]

International intervention in the conflict has been limited, with Portugal offering a mediation role and letting the FLEC rule a delegation in Lisbon. [16]

Timeline

Flag of the self-proclaimed Republic of Cabinda. Flag of Cabinda Province.svg
Flag of the self-proclaimed Republic of Cabinda.

1975–2006

2006–present

Human Rights Violations

According to a Human Rights Watch report, the Angolan military and secret service have committed a number of human rights violations during the conflict. The report indicates that between September 2007 and March 2009, 38 people were arbitrary detained, tortured, humiliated and later put on trial for alleged security crimes. The arrested included six members of the Angolan military who were charged with desertion and carrying out armed attacks, as well as a former Voice of America journalist, known for his criticism of the government. The detainees were denied contact with legal professionals or their families for prolonged periods of time. The above are considered to be a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [27] [28] [29] A Bertelsmann Stiftung investigation covering the period between 2011 and 2013, indicated that systematic human rights violations have taken place, with journalists, civil rights activists and clergy members receiving harassment after being accused of supporting FLEC. Reports by Freedom House, Bertelsmann Stiftung and Human Rights Watch also pointed out violations committed by FLEC. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Angola</span>

The current political regime in Angola is presidentialism, in which the President of the Republic is also head of state and government; it is advised by a Council of Ministers, which together with the President form the national executive power. Legislative power rests with the 220 parliamentarians elected to the National Assembly. The President of the Republic, together with the parliament, appoints the majority of the members of the two highest bodies of the judiciary, that is, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. The judiciary is still made up of the Court of Auditors and the Supreme Military Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinda Province</span> Exclave and province of Angola

Cabinda is an exclave and province of Angola, a status that has been disputed by several political organizations in the territory. The capital city is also called Cabinda, known locally as Tchiowa, Tsiowa or Kiowa. The province is divided into four municipalities—Belize, Buco-Zau, Cabinda and Cacongo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda</span> Angolan guerilla movement for the independence of Cabinda province

The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda is a guerrilla and political movement fighting for the independence of the Angolan province of Cabinda. Formerly under Portuguese administration, with the independence of Angola from Portugal in 1975, the territory became an exclave province of the newly independent Angola. The FLEC fights the Cabinda War in the region occupied by the former kingdoms of Kakongo, Loango, and N'Goyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angolan War of Independence</span> 1961–1974 conflict for independence of colonial Angola from Portugal

The Angolan War of Independence, known as the Armed Struggle of National Liberation in Angola, was a war of independence fought between the Angolan nationalist forces of the MPLA, UNITA and FNLA, and Portugal. It began as an uprising by Angolans against the Portuguese imposition of forced cultivation of only cotton as a commodity crop. As the resistance spread against colonial authorities, multiple factions developed that struggled for control of Portugal's overseas province of Angola. There were three nationalist movements and also a separatist movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angolan Civil War</span> Armed conflict in Angola between 1975 and 2002

The Angolan Civil War was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two former anti-colonial guerrilla movements, the communist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the anti-communist National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forças Armadas de Cabinda</span>

The Forças Armadas de Cabinda (FAC), or Armed Forces of Cabinda, is the armed wing of the political Cabindan nationalist group Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda. the Movement for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (MLEC) in Léopoldville in 1959, chaired by Luis Ranque Franque, the Action Committee of the Union Nationale Cabindaise (CAUNC) in Brazzaville in 1961, chaired by Henrique N'zita Tiago and the Alliance du Mayombe in Pointe-Noire in 1962, chaired by António Eduardo Sozinho Nzau. In 1963, the three separatist political movements merged to found the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave du Cabinda (FLEC), based in Pointe-Noire.

The Treaty of Simulambuco was signed in 1885 by representatives of the Portuguese government and officials in the N'Goyo Kingdom. The agreement was drafted and signed in response to the Treaty of Berlin, which was an agreement between the colonizing European powers about how to divide up Africa. The long-established Portuguese, not wanting to miss out on the Scramble for Africa involving territories near its own old possessions, began to colonize deeper than the numerous trading ports it had controlled on the African coast since the early 16th century. In contrast to the violent struggles between the Portuguese and some native peoples in Mozambique, the colonization of Cabinda was peaceful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Cabinda</span> Unrecognized state in Angola, 1975–1976

The Republic of Cabinda was an independent protectorate of Portugal that was taken over by Angola after Portugal declared Angola a free country. It is currently an unrecognized state, which Angola considers its Cabinda Province property. The Front for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Exército de Cabinda (FLEC) claimed sovereignty just after the Republic of Cabinda was proclaimed as an independent country in 1975 from Portugal and just after Angola invaded. The government of this entity operates in exile, with offices located in Paris, France, and Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo.

The Alvor Agreement, signed on 15 January 1975 in Alvor, Portugal, granted Angola independence from Portugal on 11 November and formally ended the 13-year-long Angolan War of Independence.

The 2000s in Angola saw the end of a 27-year-long civil war (1975–2002) and economic growth as foreign nations began to invest in Angola's untapped petroleum reserves. The government continues to resettle internally displaced persons as its economy recovers and expands.

António Bento Bembe is the Secretary-General of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), a general of Angolan Army, a minister without portfolio in the Angolan government between 2007–2009. He is the Secretary of State of the Angolan government for Human Rights, has served as the President of the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (FCD) since its establishment in 2004. He served as President of FLEC-Renovada.

Democratic Front of Cabinda is a separatist rebel group that fights for the independence of Cabinda province from Angola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angola–Cuba relations</span> Bilateral relations

During Angola's civil war, Cuban forces fought alongside the Marxist–Leninist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) government; against the Western-backed National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) guerrillas who were aided by the South-African army. The present day outcome of the war resulted in the MPLA changing from a Marxist–Leninist party to a multi-party democratic system based on neoliberal principles. From an economic standpoint, Cuba has lost its preferred status among Angolans and South Africa has become the biggest single investor and trading partner with Angola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henrique N'zita Tiago</span>

Henrique N'zita Tiago was a commander of the Armed Forces of Cabinda, a rebel guerrilla group that fights for the independence of Cabinda from Angola. He died in Paris on 3 June 2016. It was reported that Tiago was 88 years old when he died, and that he was buried in France.

In the 1990s in Angola, the last decade of the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), the Angolan government transitioned from a nominally communist state to a nominally democratic one, a move made possible by political changes abroad and military victories at home. Namibia's declaration of independence, internationally recognized on April 1, eliminated the southwestern front of combat as South African forces withdrew to the east. The MPLA abolished the one-party system in June and rejected Marxist-Leninism at the MPLA's third Congress in December, formally changing the party's name from the MPLA-PT to the MPLA. The National Assembly passed law 12/91 in May 1991, coinciding with the withdrawal of the last Cuban troops, defining Angola as a "democratic state based on the rule of law" with a multi-party system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Republic of Angola</span> Self-declared socialist state (1975–1992)

The People's Republic of Angola was the self-declared socialist state which governed Angola from its independence in 1975 until 25 August 1992, during the Angolan Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Togo national football team attack</span> 2010 terrorist attack in Cabinda Province, Angola

A terrorist attack occurred on 8 January 2010 as the Togo national football team traveled through the Angolan province of Cabinda on the way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, two days before it began in Angola. A little-known offshoot of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), a group promoting independence for the province of Cabinda, known as the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda – Military Position (FLEC-PM), claimed responsibility for the attack. Bus driver Mário Adjoua, the team's assistant manager Améleté Abalo, and media officer Stanislas Ocloo were killed, with several others injured. Secretary General of the FLEC-PM Rodrigues Mingas, currently exiled in France, claimed the attack was not aimed at the Togolese players but at the Angolan forces at the head of the convoy. Authorities reported two suspects were detained in connection with the attacks.

This is a list of events in the 2010s in Angola:

The Angolan exclave of Cabinda has been the site of a separatist conflict since the Angolan War of Independence. The separatist side is represented by several organizations, the largest of which is the FLEC, which maintains the armed forces of the Republic of Cabinda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias</span> Angolan prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1958)

Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias is an Angolan prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Archbishop of Luanda since 2015; he was an auxiliary bishop there from 2003 to 2005. He was Bishop of Cabinda from 2005 to 2014, where his lack of identification with the province and its separatist movement initially made his appointment controversial and he was only installed after sixteen months.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "57. Angola/Cabinda (1975–present)". University of Central Arkansas. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Datas principais relacionadas com Cabinda". SAPO. 3 August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Angola: Information on an anti-government group called Frente Liberaccion d'Enclave Cabinda (FLEC)". Refworld. 1 November 1995. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Война на чужбине". Вечерка. 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 Marquez, Gabriel Garcia (1977). "Operation Carlota" (PDF). Gabriel García Márquez (I/101–102): 123–137. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "CSIS Africa Notes" (PDF). CSIS. June 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Angola". Defence Web. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Angola-Cabinda (1994–2006)". Project Ploughshares. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Chronology for Cabinda in Angola". Minorities at Risk Project. 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  10. ↑ John Pike. "Cabinda". Global Security. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "¿Qué pasa en... Cabinda?". África no es un país. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  12. ↑ UNPO Resolution Concerning the Cabinda Enclave Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, July 7, 2005
  13. ↑ "Angola mantém presença militar reforçada em Cabinda" . Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  14. ↑ Sturcke, James; Myers, Paul; Smith, David (2010-01-11). "Togo footballers were attacked by mistake, Angolan rebels say". The Guardian.
  15. ↑ AfricaReview – Angola's Cabinda rebels to 'lay down arms' Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine , May 2, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Procesos de Paz" (PDF). Escola Pau. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "FLEC-FAC confirma ocupação da principal base militar de Cabinda". Publico. 31 October 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  18. ↑ "ANGOP > Noticias > Politica". ANGOP. 2 January 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "ANGOP > Noticias > Politica". ANGOP. 8 June 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  20. ↑ "ANGOP > Noticias > Politica". ANGOP. 29 November 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Cabinda: 52 Flec-Fac Rebels Presented To Press". ANGOP. 17 November 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Cabinda: Ex-FLEC Soldiers Join National Police". ANGOP. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  23. 1 2 Rebels say kill nine Angolan soldiers in oil-rich Cabinda enclave, Reuters, Jul 27, 2016. Accessed Jul 10, 2019.
  24. ↑ More African Freedom Fighters Join COVID-19 Cease Fire, Modern Ghana, Apr 3, 2020. Accessed Apr 3, 2020.
  25. ↑ , Plataforma Media, Jun 24, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2020.
  26. ↑ , Angola: Cabinda independence fighters claim 18 government soldiers killed
  27. ↑ "They Put Me in the Hole | Section 3". HRW. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  28. ↑ "They Put Me in the Hole | Section 7". HRW. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "They Put Me in the Hole | Section 8". HRW. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "Treatment of persons from Cabinda" (PDF). UK Home Office. January 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.