Miscellaneous Groups in Africa
(Historical)
Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN)
National Liberation Front
Algeria guerrilla movement that fought against colonialist France.
Mau Mau
Fought to free Kenya of the British Empire.
1952-1960
Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA)
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
Angolan movement that fought against colonialist Portugal.
Western backed puppet President Mobutu of Zaire supported the FNLA against the MPLA in Angola. The MPLA won anyway.
Won independence from Portugal in 1974.
In 1975 military forces from Zaire teamed up with the racist white minority South African military, the FNLA and UNITA guerrilla forces to invade Angola. These operations against the MPLA of Angola and Cuban forces stationed there, received help from the CIA and the backing of the U.S government. These combined forces were eventually repulsed by the Cuban and MPLA forces
During the time of the invasion, Cuban military advisers and engineers were already in Angola helping MPLA forces. The MPLA asked Cuba for support against the invading forces. Cuba agreed and sent military forces to counter the threat and eventually pushed the invaders out of the country. One of the first combat units the Cubans sent was an elite airborne anti-tank unit.
Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (FRELIMO)
Mozambique Liberation Front
African National Congress (ANC)
The Mkhonto We Sizwe or MK ('Spear of the Nation') was the military wing of the ANC
ANC forces were integrated into the South African National Defence Force after the conflict was over and the ANC came into power in 1994.
Pan African Congress of Azania (PAC)
Azania Peoples Liberation Army (APLA) was the military wing of the PAC. Formerly called Poqo (Pure). Like the ANC, most of the Azania Peoples Liberation Army was integrated into the South African national Defence force.
Azania Peoples Organization (AZAPO)
Azania National Liberation Army (AZANLA) military wing of AZAPO
Received support from China, Libya, Zimbabwe, Eritrea and Botswana.
There was an agreement to train AZANLA forces in Iraq but the plans were thrown off by the 1990 Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU)
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of ZANU
Organization that fought against the racist white minority government in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
Funded by China
Maoist
Camps in Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and Zambia
After the conflict many forces later integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army
Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU)
Zimbabwe Peoples Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the military wing of ZAPU.
Organization that fought against the racist white minority government in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
Funded by the Soviet Union
Marxist Leninist
Camps in Zambia
After the conflict many forces later integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army
South West Africa Peoples Organization (SWAPO)
SWAPO guerrillas established bases in Zambia.
Battled the white minority forces from South African that controlled Namibia (or South West Africa) at that time.
Received independence from South Africa in 1990.
Partido African da Independencia da Guine e Cabo Verde (PAIGC)
23
March 1973- PAIGC guerrillas in Guinea Bissau shoot down two Portuguese
Fiat G.91 aircraft using SA-7 (9K32 Strela-2) surface-to-air missile launchers. Six
weeks later another Fiat G.91 and a Dornier Do 27 were shot down.
Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF)
Eritrean Peoples Liberation Army (EPLA) military wing
