Independence of Angola

Angola represents an example of a long armed struggle for independence, which dragged on for a decade and a half after the formal start of decolonization in other countries. The first president of independent Angola was Agostinho Neto, who, according to the context, announced a course towards building a socialist state. The country was a colony of Portugal, which held its possessions in Africa longer than any European power. The liberation movement was led by the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola), where Neto played a key role. Independence was declared in 1975, but immediately escalated into a civil war, in which South Africa and the United States intervened, supporting opposition groups against the MPLA government. The USSR provided significant support to the legitimate Neto government, supplying weapons and sending military advisers, including the Cuban contingent. Angola's socialist choice was determined not only by ideology, but also by the need to protect sovereignty from external aggression. Neto was also a poet, which emphasized the cultural aspect of liberation. His death in 1979 coincided with the continuation of the conflict, which only ended in 2002. The history of Angola shows how the geopolitical interests of superpowers could prolong conflicts in Africa even after formal independence.