Jonath Savimbi: freedom fighter of Angola

Jonash Maleyrou Savimbi (born 03.08.34 in Portuguese Angola - died on 22.02.02 near Lucasus, ibid.) Is a politician, leader of a partisan insurgency that was acting against the pro-Soviet government of Angola.

short biography

The son of the head of the railway station Jonas Savimbi studied at mission schools and received a scholarship for study abroad. He studied medicine at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, and then received a doctorate in political science from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1965.

At that time Africa on the map of the world consisted mainly of colonies of European states - France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal. The colony of the latter was the birthplace of Jonasz. In 1961, Savimbi joined Holden Roberto, the leader of the independence movement of the Angolan People's Union (UPA), the rival of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, the Marxist-Leninist "Workers' Party"). He broke with the head of the UPA in 1966 and formed the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which fought against Portuguese colonial domination.

Africa on the map of world geopolitics

In 1965, Savimbi decided to form their own movement and began to seek support. She came from the PRC, where he and some of his lieutenants were invited to attend nine-month courses of guerrilla warfare. In Beijing, the UNITA leader met Mao Zedong and other military personnel, as well as the political leadership of the Chinese revolution. Savimbi studied the tactics that he so effectively used later in Angola. Later, when he sought help from Western countries, Jonash downplayed the significance of his stay in China. In particular, he said that from Mao and the Communists not only learned how to fight and win in guerrilla warfare, but also how to not manage the economy and the country, since the wealth of the nation is created by the initiative of individual people.

Mobilization

Upon his return to Angola, Jonas Savimbi began mobilizing his tribe for the ovimbundu, as well as other allies. The government was besieged in its country and ostracized at the international level. On November 10, 1975, Portugal formally renounced its control over this African state. There followed a rapid and sharp struggle for power, as a result of which the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola declared itself a new government. After the protests of the UNITA Party, the MPLA invited Cuban troops into the country and used Soviet weapons to preserve power. Soon Jonash was forced to flee deeper into Angola with just a few dozen followers.

There, in order to combat Soviet domination, which replaced Portuguese, he attracted and called for a new army. With the help of weapons and instructors from South Africa, Savimbi organized powerful and effective rebel forces. From time to time, the Government of Angola, with the help of the Cuban army and Soviet weapons, tried to destroy UNITA, but the partisans held large territory from which they attacked state institutions, railways and supply lines.

During the Cold War, Savimbi received assistance from China, South Africa and the United States of America as opposed to the Marxist, supported by the USSR MPLA, which controlled the central government. UNITA continued to conduct a subversive guerrilla war against the MPLA throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Peace talks

In the spring of 1991, Savimbi's troops harassed the capital of Luanda, cutting power lines and intercepting supplies. Eventually, the MPLA had to admit that its policy really contributed to the formation of Angola's 20-billion debt and almost complete lack of productivity. The President of the MPLA, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, agreed to negotiate with Savimbi and UNITA, as well as a package of reforms aimed at improving the economy. Peace agreements were signed on May 31, 1991, and soon the fighting ceased.

After that, Jonas Savimbi, supported by enthusiastic supporters, carried out a presidential campaign throughout Angola. He continued to promise that UNITA would introduce a market economy, regular free elections and private ownership of land and business. During the rally in the capital in September 1991, Savimbi said that the strength of his party is not only in its weapons, but also in its political presence.

Losing in elections

By a peace agreement with the government the Angolan war was stopped, which allowed holding free multi-party national elections in 1992. After the loss, Savimbi and UNITA resumed their armed struggle for control of the country, dominating much of the countryside. Negotiations were held again, which led to the Lusaka Agreement of 1994. Military operations were to cease, and the forces were to be disarmed. The President of Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, invited Savimbi to become one of the two vice-presidents, and UNITA - to participate in the government. Jonash subsequently rejected this proposal, and in 1997 he was formally appointed leader of the opposition. A year later this post was liquidated. In 1996, Savimbi said that he would retain control over the lucrative diamond regions in northeast Angola, although some of them were transferred to the government in 1998.

Death

The cold war period is long over, and UNITA has experienced funding problems. In September 1998, Savimbi encountered opposition within the organization, when a group calling itself UNITA-R, dismissed him and took over the leadership. From that moment the party divided into three factions. The Government of Angola and the Southern African Development Community formally recognized UNITA-R. Nevertheless, in March 2001, Jonas Savimbi requested the resumption of the talks and expressed his readiness to accept the conditions of the Lusaka Agreement. While the government demanded a ceasefire as a condition for the start of new negotiations, Savimbi called on the Catholic Church to mediate in the dispute. The fighting continued during 2001 and spread to neighboring countries of Zambia and Namibia. Government troops continued to pursue Jonas and finally overtook him in the eastern province of Moshiko. Savimbi was ambushed and was killed. After his death in April 2002, a peace agreement was signed between UNITA and the Angolan Government.