Table Of ContentDT
594
.N37
1981
NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION
IN ANGOLA : THE CHALLENGE AND THE
APPROACH
အကတိအွုက်ဗရgိှုိင်း*ရှိမြို့ကြီး
ုိက
DT
594
N32
National
Economic
Reconstruction
in Angola :
The Challenge
and the Approach
LIBRARIESحاانا!
BLOOMINGTON
UNITA The National UnionfortheTotal IndependenceofAngola
مز
Africa 1980
S
r
a
n
TUNISIA
d
MOROCCO
ALGERIA
LIBYA
In Dispute EGYPT
MAURITANIA
MALI
NIGER
SENEGAL
CHAD
THE
GAMBIA SUDAN
UPPERY
GUINEA GUINEAT VOLTA DJIBOUTI
BISSAU
SIERRA NIGERIA
LEONE
IVORY CENTRALS ETHIOPIA
COAST AFRICAN
LIBERIAS
CAMEROON EMPIRE
GHANTAOGO ) BENIN RESPOUMBALLIIC
EQUATORIAL GUINEA UGANDA
KENYA
GABON
ZAIRE RWANDA
CONGO BURUNDI
CABINDA
TANZANIA
ANGOLA MALAWI
MOZAMBIQUE
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
MADAGASCAR
NAMIBIABOTSWANA
SWAZILAND
LESOTHO
SOUTHAFRICA
4-2-84
Contents
I. History of UNITA ........ 3
Angola's Geography and Economy: An Overview ....
II. 7
III. The Economy: Beforeand After 10
IV. What UNITA Believes............ 14
V UNITA's EconomicAgenda 17
VI. Conclusion......... 23
TH ZUNITA
st
Chapter 1
History
of
UNITA
UNITA,TheNational UnionfortheTotal democratic process for Angola's inde
Independence of Angola, was founded pendence: a quadripartite (Portugal,
atMwangai(MoxicoProvince),Angolaon FNLA, MPLA, UNITA) Transitional Gov
March 13, 1966. ernmentwouldgovernAngolafrom Janu
Thepurposeofitsfoundingpatriotswas ary 31 to November 11, 1975, the date
to create a national liberation movement established for the proclamation of the
against the Portuguese colonial rule, a country's independence; free, general
movementwhich couldprovidefora new elections were to be held in October for
thrust to the Angolan people's liberation the election of a Constituent Assembly
andchoiceofformof Governmentbefore
process.
proclamation of independence. Colonial
Throughoutthestruggle against Portu
ismwasover,thecountrywasprosperous
guese colonialism , unlike the other two
groups (FNLA and MPLA) who operated and free, and thepeople eagertohave a
exclusively from foreign bases, UNITA piece ofthe pie.
became the only Angolan liberation UNITA was the most gratified by the
movement based totally inside Angola
prospect of a peaceful and democratic
with its entire leadership and armed transition into independence. The Party
forces. There UNITA, perfectly and per
has fought for self-determination, for the
manentlyintermingledwiththemassesin recognitionoftheAngolanpeople'sright
the rural areas, consolidated itsbaseand to vote andchoosefreelytheirgoverning
scored impressive military victories in its institutions. UNITA has always strongly
guerrilla actions. UNITA was ultimately believedintheultimatetriumphofdemoc
the main force and the most dedicated
racy - tolerance, acceptance andwilling
organization that made possible the final nessonthepartofthethreeAngolanpolit
victoryoftheAngolanpeopleagainst Por ical parties to coexist,to cooperate with
tuguese colonialism . oneanother,toworktogetherforthesake
When in January 1975 the historic ofpeaceandnational unity.Armed strug
AlvorAgreementwasconcludedbetween gle against the Portuguese was neces
the Portuguese government on the one sary only because the Portuguese gov
hand and the three Angolan liberation ernment consistently refused to dialogue
movementsontheother,therewascause with Angolan nationalists and recognize
for jubilation all over Angola. The Alvor theirrighttofreedom . Butassoon asthe
Agreement established a harmonious, Portuguesegovernment,intheaftermath
3
oftheApril 1974coupinLisbon,indicated defend and protect our people. Thus
itswillingnesstodialogueandde-colonize UNITA'sarmedforces(FALA) enteredthe
Angola, UNITA launched and cham civil war in August 1975.
pionedthewholereconciliationand nego At this time there were already thou
tiation process both among the three lib sands of Cubans in the country servicing
eration movementsatmeetingsinAngola every MPLA front. It was in reaction to
(Luso), Zambia (Lusaka), Zaire (Kin Cubansthat South Africans intervened in
shasa), and Kenya (Mombassa), and for thewar. Following the Organization of Af
the Alvor Agreement in Portugal. rican Unity's January 1976 Conference in
AddisAbabawhichcondemnedallforeign
These courageous steps to promote
interventionintheconflict,andhavingbe
negotiations, dialogue, peace and na
tional unitywere in direct responsetothe comeobviousthattheWestwasnotgoing
people's basic wishes and aspirations. to take a stand to counter this Soviet
Cuban aggression, the South Africans
Consequently, UNITA's popularity in
withdrew in February 1976. The Cubans,
creased tremendously, as evidenced by
however, have remained in the country,
pollstaken in March andApril 1975 show
ing UNITAwithmorepopularsupportthan and they have increased threefold to
nearly40,000men.TheCubanshavebe
the othertwo groups combined.
come a force of occupation and repres
Fearoflosing inthescheduledOctober
sion to maintain in power their puppet
elections as well as MPLA's attitude to
regime, imposing undesirable values on
scoff at the democratic notion of sharing
Angola.
powerwereundoubtedlyattherootofthe
Thus the Angolan people have never
Soviet decision to send in a Cuban ex
peditionary force to put the long time been allowed to exercise their right to be
free,tovote,toelectfreelytheirgoverning
Soviet protege — the MPLA-in power, in
institutions. Peace, freedom and justice
total violation of the Alvor Agreement.
Cuban instructors were seen in Luanda cancometoAngolaonlywhentheSoviets
asearlyas March 1975. Clashesbetween and their surrogate forces of occupation
leaveandthesebasicpoliticalandhuman
MPLAand FNLAstartedearlyinApril. By
rights of the Angolan people are recog
Junetherewasshootingeverywhere. But
UNITAstill managed a lasteffortto effect nized and respected. This is why the na
a cease-fire by convening the Nakuru tional liberation struggle continues for
(Kenya) Summit Conference under the UNITAand its FALA.
auspices ofthe late PresidentJomo Ken
From the outset of the de-colonization
yata. The Nakuru cease-fire accord was process in 1974, Angola became a sad
duly signed bythe three liberationmove
casualty of a newforeign aggression and
ments; one week later, MPLA and FNLA
cynical indifference. No effort was made
were back in their trenches pounding at bytheinternational communitytosupport
each otherwith theirmortarand bazooka the triumph of the peaceful, democratic
rockets. transitiontonationhood. The Portuguese
On August 3rd, the Transitional Gov rulers were then strongly pro-Moscow
ernment had totally collapsed amidst ris and responded to their "revolutionary
ing anduncontrollableviolenceinthecap duty" to promote the establishment of a
ital (Luanda). "revolutionary” (meaning pro-Soviet) re
Inthemeantime, MPLAhadsteppedup gime in Angola. At the Alvor Conference,
itsverbalandarmedprovocationsagainst for example, the ideas of calling for an
UNITA. On August 5, MPLA's men in Bie international peace-keeping force and in
firedatanaircraftthatwascarrying Presi ternational observers to look after the
dent Jonas Malheiro Savimbi. Earlier in electoral process in Angola were derided
Julytheyhadkilled 30schoolchildrenina bythe Portugueseparticipants. President
single act of terror at Pica-Pau, a UNITA JonasSavimbi shuttledceaselesslyto Af
neighborhood school in Luanda. Appro rican capitals to plead for a more active
priate measures had to be taken to role on the part of the international com
counter the rising terror campaign, to munity to stave off the tragedy of the ex
4
