Three "National" Governments Proclaimed Simultaneously
On November 11, 1975 (the agreed date for independence), three governments were simultaneously proclaimed in Angola. The MPLA declared independence with Luanda as its capital. Similarly, the UNITA proclaimed its government at Huambo town in central Angola. And the FNLA announced its govern¬ment with its capital at Uige town in the north-west. Each movement claimed its government as the only true one. This happened after the MPLA troops had dislodged troops loyal to the FNLA and UNITA from Luanda.
JOSE dos SANTOS South Africa and Savimbi fought to bring down his socialist government.
Through Zaire's influence and the Western financiers' efforts, the FNLA
and UNITA accepted to form a union government with Huambo town as its
capital. But tribal animosities between the Kongo tribe (the FNLA
supporter) and the Ovimbundu tribe (UNITA power-base), compounded by
power struggle between Holden Roberto (leader of the FNLA) and his
UNITA counter¬part Jonas Savimbi, wrecked the short-lived union
government. By February 1977, the MPLA troops had defeated the FNLA and
UNITA troops and driven most of them out of Angola.
Although the MPLA won the civil war largely by use of Cuban soldiers
and communist arms, the movement was however better organised than
either the FNLA or UNITA.
Most educated Angolans living in towns
supported the MPLA-by far the least tribal of the three movements. It
is no wonder therefore that most mesticos (people of mixed white/black
descent) supported the MPLA to the hilt. The movement was neutralist
rather than communist. It had sound guiding principles, and was devoid
of tribalism. On the other hand, the FNLA and UNITA were simply tribal
movements.
National Movements and New States in Africa