1. HISTORY OF ANGOLA
INTRODUCTION
The total land area of Angola is 1,246,699Km(481,350).It shares political boundaries with
Zambia to the east, Democratic Republic of Congo to the north and east, Namibia to the south
it has 1000 mile of coastline. Angola has a population of about 19million, the name is derived
from the kingdom of Bantu of Ndongo, whose king was Ngola. Angola was explored by a
Portuguese call Paulo Dias de Novais in1575 during his expedition, the area was attracted to
the Europeans due to it vibrant Oil ,Wax, Ivory, Minerals and Slaves .
Angola became well known for the slave trade to the Portuguese colony of Brazil, in 1884 of
Berlin Conference did not recognised Portugal claimed to the colony until the defeat of the
resistance movement of King Mwene Mbandu I Kapora in 1920.There are six ethnic groups
in Angola notably among them were Mbunda,San, Pygmnie, Khoikhai and Bantu.
Bantu
The Bantu had a defined political centralised system, a vibrant agricultural land, mastery of
Iron smelting and Ceramic, and were believed to had migrated from the northern end of
present day Cameroun and Sudan.
Mbunda
The Mbunda are believed to had migrated from the present day Democratic Republic of
Congo, who were good in the art of war and were called the ‘’Spartans of Africa’’ among the
Neolithic speaking people of Angola.
Kongo
The Kingdom of Kongo was known for the mature political system in the 13th Century’s
which takes it root from the present day Gabon in the upper Stream of Kwaza River with it
agricultural based society.
Ngongo
The Ndongo were prominent with their fear full leader called Ngola, whose society had a
well centralised political system and formed an alliance with other neighbouring tribes to
resist the infiltrations of their Kingdoms by outsiders.

2. PRE-HISTORY
PRE-COLONIAL
The present day Angola was settled by Paleolithic and Neolithic times, which shows evidence
founded in Luanda ,among the Sans ,Pygmies were the first to settled, before the coming of
the Bantu’s with their mass migration from the present day Cameroun and Sudan, then
followed by the San, mbunda kingdom. The kingdom of Kongo had structured political
system in the 13th Century, the authority is vested into the hands of Mani who is an Aristocrat
and only submit to the authority of the Kong King who was the only most Powerful Leader in
the Kingdom.
The kongo kingdom had six partitions of province and other small chiefdoms, due to the
richness of the kingdom from agriculture production and Natural resources explorations. The
expedition of a Portuguese Merchant ship under the direction of Diego Cao was able to
established a relationship between the State of Portugal and the Kingdom of Kongo in
1482,and introduced Christianity and Firearms in exchange of Slaves, Minerals and Ivory,
which pave the way for the arrival of more Europeans in the kingdom.
COLONIAL
The founding of colony of Angola under the Portuguese in 1575 ,led by Paulo Dias de
Novais with almost Hundreds of Soldiers with their Families, were accepted into the new
colony by the king of kongo and was converted to the Christian Religion. These paved the
way for the Portuguese to introduced formal political structures in the kingdom, the king had
a commendation from the Catholic Pope in Rome. The Portuguese formally established their
Capital in Luanda in 1605,but the Ndongo resisted the incursion of the Portuguese in their
chiefdom with the help of other allies, such as Matamba, Kissaye, Dembo and Kissames
under the leadership of Jinga Mbandi ,which led to an agreement between them and the
Portuguese in 1635.The Dutch took over after the Portuguese had lost their influenced in
Luanda in1641,due to resistance of Jinga and his allies and only confined the Portuguese to
only Massangano were they fortified their strength, in order to be able to capture slaves in the
War of Kuata Kuata ,a very vital for the Portuguese colony of Brazil. The Portuguese
regained back the town of Luanda from the Dutch under the command of Salvador Correira
de Sa’ after the Jinga and his alliance had broken down and were no longer had the support of
the Dutch. The Ndongo lost their independence after the defeat of the forces of Jinga and his
assassination in 1663 ,the kingdom submitted to the Crown of Portugal in 1671.The Port of
Luanda and Banguela became the trading post between the colony of Angola and Brazil for
the shipment of Slaves to the Americas, the Portuguese extended their influenced throughout
the colony after the State of Ble and Bailuando had been conquered, by the end of the 19th
Century the entire colony had fallen to the authority of Portugal. The Port of Luanda by 1844
was access by foreign Ships in smuggling of Slaves after it’s abolishment in 1836,Brazil and
United State.

3. The system of forced labour was introduced in the colony and by 1850,the Port of Luanda
was one of the biggest exporters of Palm oil ,Oil, Wax, Copal, Timber, Ivory, Cocoa and
Cotton. Berlin Conference of 1884 finally gave Portugal the privilege of the colony, but after
an agreement had been signed between the Prince of Cabinda Territory and the Crown of
Portugal in 1885.The beginning of the 20th Century saw the establishment of political,
economic and Social systems in the colony ,Angola was adopted as overseas province of
Portugal in 1951.The marginalisation of the natives in every sphere of life in the colony and
400years of tyranny and not a single educational facility was built for the locals, grass root
movement, against colonialism in1960 was formed. Anti-Colonial War of
1961emerged,Popular Movement For The Liberation Of Angola was formed in
1956,National Front For Liberation Of Angola in 1961 and National Union For The Total
Liberation Of Angola in 1966 which lasted for almost 11years.Independence was finally
given to Angola.
POST-COLONIAL
The granting of independence to Angola in 1975 was triggered by the coup in Lisbon in
1974, Military leadership of Antonio de Spinola which accepted to grant independence to
Angola on 11th November 1975 and to all Portuguese overseas colonies.
The power was handed over under an agreement in Alvor to an alliance of opposition parties
under the leadership of Agostino Neto of Movement for the Total Liberation of Angola,
National Union for the Total Liberation of Angola led by Jonas Savimbi and National Front
for Liberation of Angola also led by Holden Roberto. Ideological differences within the
alliance led to it collapse in 1976, it did generated into a proxy War between the Two Super
Powers ,who allied themselves among the parties. The Soviet Union and Cuba in support of
Agostino Neto’s, whiles the United State of America , Apartheid South Africa and Zaire in
support of Savimbi and Holden Roberto,(The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale), which was fought
between the forces of Agostino and their allies of Soviet Union and Cuba against the forces
of Jonas Savimbi and their allies of Zaire, U.S and Apartheid South Africa in 1987 was said
to be the largest battle in the history of Africa since the Second World War.
The Tripartite agreement between the warring parties and their foreign allies in 1988,led to
the withdrawing of foreign troops from Angola, another accord was signed in 1991 at Bicesse
which spelt out the Electoral Process under the direction of the United Nations, the 1991
polls was won by M.P.L.A of Eduard dos Santos with 49%,whiles U.N.I.T.A of Jonas
Savimbi came second with 40% of the vote cast. The final agreement was signed between
U.N.I.T.A and M.P.L.A in Zambia ‘’Lusaka Accord’’ of 1994,the Angolan War is believed
to had claimed more than 1.5Million Lives over the past Twenty Five Years, which ended
when Jonas Savimbi was killed by in 2002.
The Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola, M.P.L.A led by Eduardo dos Santos won
the Second Republic election and subsequent elections till date.

4. Prepared By (……………….)
Mohammed Nurudeen