Revolution, with that a lot of sacrifice, death and blood are brought in order to achieve freedom and Angola’s independence was no exception. Angola was a Portuguese colony for almost five centuries but between 1950-1960 Angola’s population started to create revolutionary parties to fight the Portuguese regime. The three major parties were MPLA leaded by Agostinho Neto, FNLA leaded by Holden Roberto and UNITA leaded by Jonas Savimbi. These three parties fought the Portuguese but also fought each other what delayed the country’s independence but after a revolution in Portugal against the dictator regime in April 25 1974 Angola finally had a real chance to become independent and achieved it in November 11 1975 after a war for independence that lasted 13 years. Angola finally became an independent country but the same three parties that fought so hard for independence also fought each other for the control of the independent Angola in a civil war mostly between MPLA (government) and UNITA that lasted almost three decades.
-Angola flag
Holden Roberto, the founder, leader and face of the FNLA was one the major figures in Angola’s fight for independence but his party was no match for the MPLA and UNITA. Seeing how the Portuguese treated the native Angolans inspired him to begin his political career and fight for Angola’s independence. Even though MPLA and FNLA were/are rivals when Holden Roberto died he was mentioned by Jose Eduardo dos Santos actual Angola’s President as one the pioneers in the fight for independence.
-FNLA flag and Holden Roberto
UNITA’s leader Jonas Savimbi (former member of the FNLA) founded the party and fought for the independence as well as for control of the country. Jonas Savimbi was a master in guerrilla, an excellent military commander and strategist. He leaded the UNITA through the find for independence and then in the civil war against the MPLA to get control of the country until his death in February 22, 2002.
-UNITA flag and Jonas Savimbi
The MPLA (party in power since the independence) was founded by Agostinho Neto and Viriato da Cruz (both were politicians and also poets) but was leaded by Agostinho Neto that eventually became one of if not the biggest national hero in Angola.
-MPLA flag and Agostinho Neto
He was born in Bengo province in the Northwest region of Angola in 1922. He left Angola to study medicine in Portugal and in 1956 after becoming a member of a small Angolan underground party he helped in the foundation of MPLA The People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola as president and returned to Angola in 1959. By that time he wrote his first volume of poetry at that time using liberation and freedom as theme. One year later he was arrested by Portugal’s dictatorial regime. I’m talking about a man whose arrest made many of his patients and supporters march to ask for his freedom which resulted in a massacre because the dictatorial police shot at the people that marched for him. Thirty people were killed and over two hundred wounded. After this incident he wrote his second volume of poetry, being his people suffering and pain the themes. Also, because of that incident he was deported to Portugal but then in 1962 he escaped and went to Washington DC to ask the United States of America for help in his country fight for Independence. The White House turned him down and chose to help another party, but in 1965 he met Che Guevara in Cuba, created a political alliance with Fidel Castro and Angola received Cuba’s help in the Liberation movement and fight for independence. He was also able to develop a close link with Soviet Union that prized him in 1975 with a peace award.
In that year, in 1975 Angola finally became an independent Nation and he became its first President. Unfortunately after the independence Angola entered into a civil war but he didn’t live long enough to see his country reach peace. He died in Moscow during a surgery in 1979 at the age of 56. During his lifetime he was a doctor, a poet, a political leader and one of the most responsible for Angola’s independence and until this day his face is in Angola’s currency money (the Kwanza), there’s a University with his name and several statues and monuments spread all over the country to pay tribute to this great man.
-Agostinho Neto statues