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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Cuito Cuanvale Revisited: Same Outcomes, Different Consequences |
Author: | Breytenbach, Willie J. |
Year: | 1997 |
Periodical: | Africa Insight |
Volume: | 27 |
Issue: | 1 |
Pages: | 54-62 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Angola South Africa |
Subjects: | military intervention defence Military, Defense and Arms international relations Inter-African Relations |
Abstract: | The 'battle of Cuito Cuanavale' (Angola, 1987/1988) was a turning point in the history of the African subcontinent. It was the last of the proxy wars during the dying days of the Cold War. Disagreements about the outcome of Cuito Cuanavale can be reduced to three issues: the question of the objectivity of source material; differing interpretations of the short-term military outcome and the longer-term political consequences; and, who were the 'real' winners and losers. To address these questions, the author analyses the battle or siege of Cuito Cuanavale, which involved the MPLA/FAPLA (Forças Armadas Populares de Libertação de Angola) in alliance with Cuban forces, and UNITA supported by the SADF (South African Defence Force). The author concludes that it is too early to tell who actually won in the longer term. There are many candidates for this accolade, with Namibia one of the major contenders; the USA is another. The only certainty is that Angola, through its ongoing wars, is a heavy loser. Ref. |