Angola: Jonas Savimbi

Updated March 2002

Jonas Savimbi was born on August 3 1934 in Munhango. In 1958 he went to Portugal to study medicine. This was abandoned however in favour of an active political career campaigning with the independence movements of Portuguese colonies in Lisbon.

In 1960 he left Portugal for Switzerland where he obtained a degree in Political and Juridical Science at the Social Science Institute of Lausanne. During the period 1961-1964 Savimbi was appointed secretary general of the UPA which together with the PDA formed the National Front for the Liberation of Angola FNLA.

In 1964 Savimbi announced his withdrawal from the FNLA in order to form his own party UNITA (formed in 1966) which waged a struggle for the liberation of Angola.

After Angola's independence in 1975, UNITA was unable to reconcile with the MPLA and the FNLA. Although backed by South Africa and the United States UNITA was forced to retreat into the interior of the country.

In 1992 Savimbi finally stood for election after having signed a peace agreement with the Angolan government. The results, which confirmed Savimbi's and UNITA's defeat, were contested and Savimbi led UNITA back into war. He agreed to take part in peace talks in 1994 and signed the Lusaka Peace Accord, but resumed fighting shortly thereafter

Despite the fact that he was offered a vice presidency it seems that Savimbi wanted peace only on his own terms. A former biographer claimed, "He is probably the most brilliant man I've ever met, but he's also dangerous even psychotic." Jonas Savimbi was killed in battle in February, 2002. UNITA and the MPLA have since agreed to a cease fire and have begun the negotiation of a permanent peace.

Source

SIMPSON, C 1999 "Profile: Jonas Savimbi, UNITA's Local Boy" IN BBC News, Special Report: Angola, February 1.