Southern Africa

.

The issues
The Angolan Civil War was a major and rather bizzar civil war in the African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002, due to the politically screwed up nature of the colony under Portuguese rule. It started after the Angolan War of Independence (1961–74), had taken place. At least 5,000 Cuban troops were deployed in Angola to counter interventions by South African forces during the 27-year civil war between the MPLA and UNITA.

Non-Angolan troop numbers in the civil war-
 * RSA- 20,000 (1976)
 * Cuba- 35,000 – 37,000 (1982) and 60,000 (1988)
 * Zaire- ? (1975)
 * USSR- Altogether 11,000 (1975 to 1991)
 * GDR- 7,000 (1979)

The South African Border War of 26 August 1966 to 21 March 1990, which is commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that was largely fought in South-West Africa (now Namibia) and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces (mainly the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA) against the Angolan government, South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), and their allies (mainly Cuba).

The Namibian War of Independence of 26 August 1966 ti 21 March 1990, was a separatist guerilla war which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) along with others against the racist apartheid colonial government of South Africa. The Namibian War of Independence and The South African Border War can be seen as part of a bigger regional conflict.

The Mozambican Civil War of 30 May 1977 to 4 October 1992 began two years after the end of the war of independence due to the politically screwed up nature of the colony under Portuguese rule. It was similar to the Angolan Civil War as both were proxy wars of the Cold War that started soon after the countries gained independence from Portugal. FRELIMO and RENAMO fought it out and ruined the nation. Hundreds of thousands of people died from a war time famine that was attributable to both the war-wacky policies of the RENAMO and FRELIMO organisations.

Non-Mozambique troop numbers in the civil war- Tanzania, Zambia, Algeria, the African National Congress (ANC) armed wing, East Germany, France, the UK, the U.S. In the U.S., Kenya, Western Germany, Malawi, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, China, Libya, the Peoples' Republic of the Congo, Sweden and Brazil have all had minor or diplomatic only role in at some time in the above conflicts as well.
 * Zimbabwe 20,000 (?)
 * Tanzania 6,000 (?)

Cold War politics had noticed both mineral resources, agriculture and geopolitical interests in southern Africa.

Rhodesia


The Nation of Rhodesia (IPA/roʊˈdiːʒə/, rə-dee-zhə), commonly known from 1970 onwards as the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in southern Africa from 1965 to 1979. They declared UDI under Sir Ian Smith and his White minority clique who opposed the UK's plan for Black majority rule.

The Rhodesian Bush War (also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe War of Liberation of 4 July 1964 to 12 December 1979), was a civil war that took place from July 1964 to December 1979 after the unrecognised and pro-white and fascist country of Rhodesia.

Most Black and White Rhodesians feared a repeat of the bloody Mau Mau rising in Kenya and the Congo Crisis in the Belgian Congo, but non the less the Whites were cruel and pro-apartheid which inevitably alienated the Blacks.

The Black nationalist (Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army, ZIPRA), Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) fault against the White state forces.

Eventual Robert Mugabe would win the conflict and set up the equally off-putting pro-black, supremacist nation of Zimbabwe.

South Africa
The ANC in S. Africa was

Also see

 * West Africa
 * The Congo and The DRC/Zaire
 * North Africa
 * Horn of Africa
 * Egypt

Links

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_Civil_War
 * http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13037271
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_Civil_War
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozambican_Civil_War
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Border_War
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibian_War_of_Independence
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesian_Bush_War
 * http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/678102c2-59e0-11e4-9787-00144feab7de.html#axzz3SnS60sWm
 * http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bush-Rhodesia-Extraordinary-Reconnaissance/dp/1581606141
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesia