Externals 1980-1989

Guide to Forces of
South West Africa and Angola

Cuban Forces in Angola

by Greg Novak

The National Union for the Total Liberation of Angola had been formed in 1966, and was one of the three groups that fought against the Portuguese in Angola. When the Portuguese left in 1975, UNITA controlled a majority of the countryside, but not the ports or the capital. Those were controlled by MPLA, which used them to bring in aid from Cuba and the Soviet Union. Had free elections been held in 1975 between MPLA, FNLA and UNITA, it was estimated that UNITA would carried 45% of the vote.

In the civil war that followed, UNITA was briefly backed by South Africa and the United States. However, the scars of the Vietnam War were all too recent for the American people, and the United States withdrew its support. South Africa had committed troops to the aid of UNITA in 1975-76, but was unwilling to shoulder the load alone. In the hopes of reaching an accommodation with the MPLA's new government, South Africa withdrew its support of UNITA as well. Under attack from FAPLA and its Cuban allies, UNITA was driven back into the interior of Angola.

UNITA, however, did not go away. It had fought an eight-year war with the Portuguese, and was willing to carry on the fight against the new oppressors. Under the leadership of Jonas Savimbi, and backed to a limited extent by the government of Zaire, UNITA continued to carry on a guerrilla war. Its survival managed to add a new element to the fighting along the Angola-SWA border.

At the start of the 1980s, UNITA and South Africa were leery of working together. There was some bitterness left from the 1975-76 quasi-alliance, and UNITA was on record as favoring a free and independent SWA. On the other hand, most of the regular SWAPO units were committed to action against UNITA, and not SWA. From UNITA's point of view, an SWA ruled by SWAPO would not be to UNITA's advantage.

From the South African point of view, the choice was simple. If given the alternatives of either supporting UNITA or working out an agreement with the Angolan government, South Africa would rather work with the existing government. South Africa's policy in the early 1980s was based on the idea that if it could bring sufficient military pressure on the SWAPO bases, the Angolan government would be willing to pull them back and keep them on control. Operation ASKARI, run in late- 1983/early- 1984 was the best example of this. It resulted in the hoped-for arrangement, the Lusaka Accord, which set up a Joint Monitoring Commission (JMC) of SDAF and FAPLA forces to patrol southern Angola, and keep the SWAPO units out of the area.

Rather than solve the problem for South Africa, the Luska Accord worsened it. SWAPO units were now able to approach the border under the protection of the FAPLA elements of the JMC, and infiltration attempts across of SWAPO units across the border increased, rather then decreased.

During this time, UNITA continued its war with FAPLA, setting a multi-tiered force structure of some 60,000 men, living off captured weapons from its foes. UNITA's force structure by the mid- 1980s was as follows:

Guerrilla Forces

Numbering 37,000 members, a better term for these units might be local forces. These were local troops whose operations were limited to that area. Due to the ebb and flow of the battlelines, these units could end behind either UNITA's or FAPLA's front lines in the course of a campaign. Their task was to stay put. They were organized as follows:

Front (controls 2-4 regions)

    Military Region (controls 2-6 sectors)
      Sector (controls 2-6 zones)
        Zone: A force of about 50 members

Zone units are either rated as being either Dispersed or Compact. Dispersed zones are noncombatant, and are either in UNITA's rear areas which are tasked with food production, transport, and supply, or behind the front lines of FAPLA, where their task is intelligence- gathering. Compact zones are combat units assigned and equipped for guerrilla warfare. When operating behind UNITA's front lines they provided security elements in the event of an enemy attack; if operating behind FAPLA's lines they engaged in guerrilla warfare.

Regular Forces

Numbering 28,000 members, these units included the Semi- Regulars, Regulars, and Special Forces. The Semi-Regular Battalions were localized light infantry battalions that could be used in support of the Regular Infantry Battalions, or to step up guerrilla warfare in the selected areas in cooperation with the Compact Zone formations.

UNITA SEMI-REGULAR BATTALION
Trained; Morale: 8

    Battalion Headquarters, with 1 command infantry stand
    2-3 Infantry Company, each with 2 infantry stands
    Weapons Company, with 1 82mm mortar stand (ds) and 1 75mm RR stand

The Regular Battalions were reinforced light infantry battalions that were able to be shifted around the UNITA-controlled areas as needed. They had some transport for their heavy weapons, and were reinforced with a mixture of captured items, as well as items supplied from various outside sources. One of the amazing items about UNITA was their ability keep captured weapons operating in the field without any stockpiles of spare parts and ammunition.

UNITA REGULAR BATTALION
Regular; Morale: 9

Unit Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 jeep/UAZ469
    1 command infantry stand
    1 support stand
    2 medium trucks

3 Infantry Company, each with 2-3 infantry stands
Mortar Battery, with:

    1 120min mortar
    1 gun crew stand
    1 medium truck

AA Company, with:

    1 SA-7 or Stinger team
    1 ZPU
    2 AAMG or ZU-23-2
    1 gun crew stand
    1 light truck

Support Company, with: see notes.

Notes

1. The Support Company consisted of what was either needed for a mission, or what was available at the time. The weapons that couldbe used included T-55 tanks, BM-21 MLRs, 76min field guns, 122mm field guns, or Chinese Type 63 107mm NILRs. There would be a maximum of two field guns with crews, or one tank or MLR attached to the a unit.

The Special Forces specialized in long-range operations deep in FAPLA's rear areas, and effectively consisted of veteran recon patrols.

More Externals 1980-1989: SW Africa and Angola

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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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