Knowra Cuban intervention in Angola Cuban intervention in Angola Cuba’s military deployment in Angola began in 1975 to support the MPLA government during the Angolan Civil War. Cuban forces later helped repel South African incursions and remained in Angola until 1991.
Operation Carlota : Cuba’s 1975 airlift of troops and equipment to Angola, named for an enslaved woman who led a Cuban rebellion. This operation launched the large-scale Cuban deployment that helped the MPLA withstand its opponents.
Angolan War of Independence : The 1961–1974 armed struggle that ended Portuguese colonial rule in Angola. Its outcome left competing Angolan movements vying for power as Portugal withdrew.
South African Border War : A conflict from 1966 to 1989 involving South Africa, forces in Angola, and liberation movements in Namibia. Cuban forces in Angola confronted South African military operations across the region.
South African intervention in Angola : South Africa’s military operations in Angola, undertaken chiefly against the MPLA government and its allies. South African forces intervened against the government that Cuba was supporting.
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale : A 1987–1988 campaign in southeastern Angola involving Angolan, Cuban, and South African forces. Cuban forces reinforced the Angolan defense during the intervention’s most consequential late-war campaign.
Alvor Agreement : A January 1975 agreement that set terms for Angolan independence and a transitional government shared by three liberation movements. The agreement’s collapse preceded the civil war and the MPLA’s request for Cuban military help.
Namibian War of Independence : The conflict over ending South African rule in Namibia, fought primarily from 1966 to 1989. The military balance in Angola affected South Africa’s strategy toward Namibia’s independence.
Operation Savannah : South Africa’s 1975–1976 military campaign in Angola, launched during the transition to independence. It was the South African intervention that Cuba’s initial deployment helped counter.
Cuban Armed Forces : Cuba’s national military, which includes land, naval, and air forces. Its personnel and equipment formed the core of Cuba’s intervention in Angola.
MPLA : The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a movement that became the country’s governing party after independence. Cuba deployed forces to support the MPLA against its domestic rivals and foreign-backed opponents.
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