The Largest War In Africa: How Cuba Saved Angola from European Invasion 🇨🇺

Alright, so here’s the deal: Angola had one of the longest wars in Africa, starting in 1975, right after kicking out the Portuguese colonizers. But instead of peace, the country got thrown into a brutal civil war, which was basically another Cold War battleground.

On one side, you had the MPLA (the ruling party) backed by Cuba, the Soviet Union, and SWAPO (Namibian independence fighters).

On the other side, you had UNITA and the FNLA, backed by South Africa (the apartheid government), the USA, Zaire (now DRC), and even China.

Fidel Castro sent about 18,000 Cuban troops to fight alongside Angola’s MPLA—not just to help them win, but also to stop South Africa from turning Angola into another apartheid state like they did in Namibia. The Cuban and Angolan forces kicked South Africa’s butt so badly that it led to Namibia gaining independence too. That’s why, to this day, a lot of Angolans celebrate Fidel Castro’s birthday—they see him as the guy who saved them from European-backed apartheid.

Now, about the European countries involved…

The usual suspects were all indirectly supporting South Africa and UNITA because they didn’t want a Soviet-backed government in Angola. Basically, they were cool with supporting apartheid if it meant stopping communism. The list:

  • United Kingdom (UK) – Provided intelligence and diplomatic cover for South Africa and UNITA.
  • France – Supplied weapons and allowed mercenaries to fight for UNITA.
  • West Germany – Secretly trained South African troops and had strong economic ties.
  • Portugal – Even after losing Angola as a colony, they still supported South Africa’s invasion to weaken the MPLA.
  • Belgium – Helped UNITA with financial and political backing.
  • Netherlands – Officially opposed apartheid but still had Dutch businesses and banks keeping South Africa’s economy alive.
  • Switzerland – Maintained banking ties with the apartheid regime, allowing them to bypass sanctions.
  • Italy – Continued trade and investment with South Africa despite global opposition.
  • Spain – Had economic relationships with apartheid South Africa and largely avoided criticizing them.

The war lasted 27 years (1975-2002) and left Angola wrecked. And funny enough, you don’t really hear much about it in Western history classes.

Maybe because it’s kinda embarrassing that Europe and the U.S. were on the side of the apartheid-supporting invaders, while Cuba (a tiny island) was actually helping African nations gain independence.

It’s wild how much history gets left out when it makes the wrong people look bad.

Many Angolans, particularly those who remember Cuba's role in the fight against apartheid and in helping the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola), do honor Castro's memory on his birthday, August 13th, with ceremonies or celebrations in certain parts of the country, especially within political circles. Castro's influence remains an important part of Angola's historical narrative

Source: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2016/12/fidel-castros-greatest-legacy-africa-angola

Video: https://youtu.be/HBIRNm_wMEg?si=sof4NdqDzeb7qq01

Sources: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_intervention_in_Angola