List of wars involving Angola

The following is a list of wars involving Angola.

List

Conflict	Combatant 1	Combatant 2	Result
Battle of Kombi (29 October 1647) (Part of the Dutch–Portuguese War)	Dutch Republic Kingdom of Ndongo	Kingdom of Portugal	Ndongo-Matamba/Dutch allied victory
Battle of Mbwila (29 October 1665[1]) (part of the Portuguese colonisation of Africa)	Kongo	Portugal	Portuguese victory
Battle of Mbidizi River (June 1670) (Part of the Kongo Civil War)	Soyo and Ngoyo	Portuguese Empire	Portuguese victory
Battle of Kitombo (18 October 1670) (Part of the Kongo Civil War)	Kongo states of Soyo and Ngoyo	Portuguese Empire Portuguese West Africa	Soyo Victory
Battle of São Salvador (15 February 1709) (part of the Kongo Civil War)	Orthodox Catholics of Kingdom of Kongo	Antonian Catholics of Kingdom of Kongo	Orthodox victory
Battle of Quifangondo (10 November 1975) (part of the Angolan Civil War)	FNLA (ELNA) Zaire South Africa	MPLA (FAPLA) Cuba	FAPLA victory
Angolan War of Independence (1961–1974) (part of the Portuguese Colonial War, the Decolonization of Africa and the Cold War)	MPLA Material support: Soviet Union[2] Cuba[3][4]  East Germany[5]  Romania[6][7][8]  Bulgaria[9] Yugoslavia[10] Tanzania[11] Libya[12] Brazil[13] FNLA UNITA (until 1972) Material support: United States[14] China[15][16][17]  Romania[6][7][8] Zaire[18] Israel  Bulgaria[9] Morocco[19][20][21] Brazil[13] Zambia[22][23] FLEC RDL	Portugal UNITA (after 1972)[24] South Africa[25][26] Rhodesia	Angolan victory[27][28] Military stalemate[29] MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA political victory Carnation Revolution Alvor Agreement and Angolan independence in 1975 Start of the Angolan Civil War Independence of Angola
Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) (part of the aftermath of the Angolan War of Independence, and the Cold War (until 1991)	People's Republic of Angola/Republic of Angola MPLA Cuba (1975–1989) SWAPO (1975–1989)[30] ANC (1975–1989)[31][30] Executive Outcomes (1993–1995)[32] FLNC (1975–2001)[33][34] Namibia (2001–2002)[note 1] Military advisers and pilots: Soviet Union (1975–1989)[36][37] East Germany (1975–1989)[38][39] North Korea (1980s)[note 2]	Democratic People's Republic of Angola UNITA FNLA (1975–1976) FNLA (1976–1978)[34] South Africa (1975–1989)[40] Zaire (1975)[43][34] FLEC	MPLA victory Withdrawal of all foreign forces in 1989. Transition towards a multiparty political system in 1991/92. Dissolution of the armed forces of the FNLA. Participation of UNITA and FNLA, as political parties, in the new political system, from 1991/92 onwards. Jonas Savimbi, leader of UNITA, killed in 2002; UNITA abandoned armed struggle and participated in electoral politics. Resistance of FLEC continued to this day
Cabinda War (1975–) (part of the Angolan Civil War (until 2002)	Angola Cuba (until 1991) Democratic People's Republic of Angola (1991) UNITA (joint operations, 1991) Military advisers and pilots: East Germany (until 1989)[44] Soviet Union (until 1989)[44][45]	FLEC FLEC-FAC Communist Committee of Cabinda Republic of Cabinda (1975–1976, 1999) Zaire (1975)[citation needed]	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
Battle of Cassinga (4 May 1978) (part of the South African Border War)	South Africa	SWAPO Cuba	South African victory
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (14 August 1987[46] – 23 March 1988[47]) (part of the Angolan Civil War and the South African Border War)	National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA) South Africa South African Defence Force South West African Territorial Force (SWATF)	People's Republic of Angola People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) Cuba Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) South West African People's Organisation People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) African National Congress Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK)[47] Military advisors: Soviet Union[47] East Germany[46] North Korea Vietnam	Inconclusive South Africa and UNITA defeat a major FAPLA offensive towards Mavinga, inflicting heavy casualties on FAPLA and preserving UNITA's control of southern Angola. Remaining FAPLA units repel several South African and UNITA attacks near the Tumpo River. Withdrawal over several months of most South African and UNITA troops from Cuito Cuanavale under Operation Displace[48] Round One of Tripartite Accord talks commences[47]
First Congo War (1996–1997) (part of the Congolese Civil Wars, aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, spillovers of the Burundian Civil War, the Second Sudanese Civil War and the Angolan Civil War)	AFDL Rwanda Uganda[49] Burundi[50] Angola[50] SPLA[51] Eritrea[52] Supported by: South Africa[53] Zambia[54] Zimbabwe[53] Ethiopia[55] Tanzania United States (covertly)[56] Mai-Mai[a]	Zaire FAZ White Legion Sudan[51] Chad[57] Ex-FAR/ALiR Interahamwe CNDD-FDD[58] UNITA[59] ADF[60] FLNC[61] Supported by: France Central African Republic China[62] Israel[62] Kuwait (denied)[62] Mai-Mai[a]	AFDL victory Overthrow of the Mobutu regime Zaire renamed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Installation of Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president Beginning of Second Congo War
Congo-Brazzaville Civil War (1997–1999) (part of the aftermaths of the First Congo War and Rwandan genocide)	Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo (from October 1997) Cobra Militia Rwandan Hutu Militia Angola[66] Chad[66]	Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo (to October 1997) Cocoye Militia Ninja Militia Nsiloulou Militia Supported by: Jonas Savimbi FLEC[67] Supported by: Democratic Republic of the Congo	Nguesso loyalist victory Denis Sassou Nguesso returns to power
Second Congo War (1998–2003) (part of the Congolese Civil Wars and the aftermath of the First Congo War and the Angolan Civil War)	Pro-government: DR Congo  Angola  Chad  Namibia  Zimbabwe  Sudan (alleged) Anti-Ugandan forces: LRA ADF UNRF II FNI Anti-Rwandan militias: FDLR ALiR Interahamwe RDR Mai-Mai Other Hutu-aligned forces Anti-Burundi militias: CNDD-FDD FROLINA	Rwandan-aligned militias: RCD RCD-Goma Banyamulenge Ugandan-aligned militias: MLC Forces for Renewal UPC Other Tutsi-aligned forces Anti-Angolan forces: UNITA Foreign state actors:  Uganda Rwanda  Burundi Libya (alleged)[68]	Military stalemate Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila Sun City Agreement Creation of a unified, multi-party government in DR Congo, with Joseph Kabila as president Pretoria Accord; Rwandan withdrawal from DR Congo in exchange for commitment towards the disarmament of Hutu militias. The Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is established, deployment of MONUC. End of the Angolan Civil War. Continuation of the Ituri conflict. Start of the Kivu conflict.
Kivu Conflict (2004-) (part of the aftermath of the Second Congo War, War against the Islamic State)	Pro-government: DR Congo Wazalendo (March 2024–) NDC-R  Burundi MONUSCO Angola Zimbabwe Botswana (against FNL and FNL–Nzabampema) Supported by: France Belgium Bulgaria[69] Horațiu Potra's Mercenary Legion (until 31 Jan 2025)	Rwandan-aligned militias: CNDP M23 Banyamulenge Twigwaneho Gumino Ugandan-aligned militias: FPRI FPLC FPDC Foreign state actors:  Uganda  Rwanda Anti-Ugandan forces: IS-CAP[70] ADF-Baluku ADF-Mukulu Mai-Mai Kyandenga UPLC Anti-Rwandan militias: FDLR RUD Other Hutu-aligned forces Nyatura Anti-Burundi militias: RED-Tabara FNL Mai-Mai militias: NDC-R (until March 2024) FPP-AP AFRC RNL Mazembe Kifuafua Simba MAC Raia Mutomboki Buhirwa Kidjangala Fuliru Mai-Mai Makanaki Biloze Bishambuke CNPSC Alaise CODECO (in Ituri) Chini ya Kilima–FPIC (in Ituri) Zaïre-FPAC (in Ituri)	Ongoing FARDC victory against the CNDP in 2009 and the M23 movement in 2012 CNDP becomes a political party in the DRC M23 movement signs peace agreement with the DRC government; renews fighting in 2022 Conflict breaks out between Rwanda and the Congo in 2022 FDLR, Mai-Mai militias and other armed groups still active in Eastern DRC UN and FARDC begin operation to defeat the FDLR and their allies at the start of 2015
Central African Republic Civil War (2013–)	Central African Republic Central African Armed Forces MINUSCA (since 2014) Rwanda (since 2020)[71] Russia (since 2018)[71] Wagner Group[72] Russian Imperial Movement[73] Black Russians[74] Azande Ani Kpi Gbe[75] Formerly: South Africa (2013) MISCA (2013–2014) MICOPAX (2008–2013) Angola Cameroon Chad Morocco[76] Uganda Congo-Brazzaville DRC Gabon Burundi Equatorial Guinea São Tomé and Príncipe France (2013–2021)[77] EUFOR RCA (2014–2015) Estonia Finland Georgia Latvia Luxembourg Netherlands Portugal Poland Romania Spain Italy	Coalition of Patriots for Change (since 2020) Anti-balaka 3R UPC FPRC MPC PRNC CMSPR (since 2024)[78] Support: Chad (alleged)[79] RSF[80] Defunct groups: Séléka (2012–2014) CPJP CPSK UFDR FDPC FPR RJ (2013–2018) MNLC (2017–2019) MLCJ (2008–2022) RPRC (2014–2022)	Ongoing Séléka rebel coalition takes power from François Bozizé.[81] Michel Djotodia, the leader of Séléka, becomes president President Michel Djotodia abolishes Séléka Low-level fighting between Ex-Séléka factions and Anti-balaka militias.[82] President Michel Djotodia resigns amid heavy international pressure. Interim government is formed Elections conducted in 2016 with Faustin-Archange Touadéra becoming the president De facto split between ex-Séléka factions controlled north and east and Anti-balaka controlled south and west with a Séléka faction declaring the Republic of Logone.[83] Fighting between Ex-Séléka factions FPRC and UPC. Ex-president Bozizé merges all rebel groups and forms the Coalition of Patriots for Change. Elections in 2021 with Touadéra being re-elected as president. As of July 2021 the government controls more territory than at any point since the war began.[84]

Notes

1. Many Mai-Mai militias in eastern Zaire initially allied themselves with Rwanda and the AFDL against Hutu militants and refugees.^[63] As soon as most Hutu were driven away, however, many Mai-Mai groups turned against Rwanda and the AFDL.^[64] Despite this, some anti-Hutu Mai-Mai remained allied with Rwanda and the AFDL.^[65]

1. Irritated by UNITA cross-border raids, the Namibian Defence Force retaliated by sending units into southern Angola and destroying a UNITA training camp at Licua in late January 2001.^[35] The Namibian troops were not withdrawn from Angola until May 2002.^[35]
2. The North Korean Military Mission in Angola had about 1,500 personnel attached to FAPLA in 1986, most likely advisers, although their exact duties are uncertain.^[40] Their presence in Angola may have been indirectly subsidised by the Soviet Union.^[41] Up to 3,000 North Korean military personnel served in Angola throughout the 1980s.^[42]