The fate of the former German colony in Africa South-West is very troubled, at the end of World War II, South Africa attempted to incorporate these territories (against the advice of the UN) and became the de facto fifth province, with representation in parliament.
The imported laws of apartheid South African government in that province by increasing the discontent of the population, until in 1962 occurred the first high-profile cases of guerrilla, with the formation of the armed wing of SWAPO Independence Party, People Liberation Army of Nambia (PLAN).
In September 1965 there was the first exchange of fire between quotas and South African revolutionaries.
During this first period were mainly the South African Police and the South West African Police (SWAPOL), supported by South African Force (SAAF), to thwart the activities of the rebels. Soon, however, the intensity of the fighting was such that the South African government had to create a special police unit for groped to marginalize this phenomenon and to quell the increasingly frequent now facing the black population in Namibia. The
neighboring Angola is home to many bases of rebel groups, being involved in the contemporary guerrilla against Portugal.
At the end of the sixties also gave rise to the counter insurgency unit known as the Koevoet which had as its task of combating the activities of guerrillas.
After the government called Carnation Revolution Lisbon recognized the independence of Angola.
In view of the promised independence from Portugal, the various fringes rebels began fighting among themselves for control of the capital Luanda. When the guerrillas but also took aim at the dam Calueque, which was built by the Portuguese in cooperation with South Africa to provide electricity to many urban areas in Namibia, the South African Army was forced to intervene.] The conflict was originally defined In Angola alone then assumed an international character.
In late 1975, the MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union took control of the capital of Angola. At the request of MPLA same Cuban and Soviet military advisers arrived in the African nation to train troops, especially local men and means to bring from Cuba The U.S. did not remain inetri and the CIA began to pass information to the FNLA and UNITA to fight the MPLA.
With 'Operation Savannah "South Africa invaded Angola in order to explicitly take possession of the hydroelectric dam Ruacana-Calueque. With the help of the FNL and UNITA, the South African armed forces were able to take control of the Benguela railway, which would allow, if necessary, a rapid withdrawal from the territory, and to ensure a supply route through an area inaccessible and almost devoid of roads.
The MPLA was increasingly sourcing by Soviet and quickly took complete political control of the country.
South Africa formed the Task Force Zulu composed of two groups fighting in Angola that infiltration of guerrilla operations with appropriate pave the way for an armed invasion itself. In just 30 days, the Task Force Zulu was able to travel over 300 kilometers of jungle, engaging in several clashes with guerrillas MPLA and reaching the end of the thirtieth day after the city of Ngunza. gin stand were sent three more battle groups.
took control on the key southern Angola in the areas concerned, it began operation Savannah. During this operation, at the request of the master FNL Holden Roberto, we also decided to attack Luanda. On November 9, 1975
artillery bombarded the Angolan capital of South Africa with 140mm howitzers.
But because of poor preparation of the FNL rebels, the attack was a failure and the South Africans had to withdraw.
South Africa withdrew its forces from Angola, while in the meantime more than thirty thousand Cuban soldiers were sent from Cuba in Angola at the request of Prime Minister
Cubans, using a greater armament than that of the South African armed forces, forced the Southern African troops to withdraw from the country in March 1976 that action was called Oerazione Carlota.
South Africa, however, does not end its support for UNITA in the fight against the MPLA. In the decade that followed, the South African Forces performed a number of military operations in Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique to counter a possible expansion of MPLA
despite continued UN resolutions on the Independence of Namibia South Africa continued to believe that its territory as part of the Nations process .
In 1982 the first foundations were laid for the independence of the country and provide it with its own constitution. A key role in the task of the mediator had the United States, since 1984, it employed them, without success, so South Africa's armed forces were withdrawn from Angola south. The role of the mediator
United States, however, was also subjected to heavy criticism, especially by those who seek to raise the recognition of the independence of Namibia at international level. Despite the American political promise in words a rapid end to the conflict, the United States seem to encourage South Africa to extend its sphere of influence on neighboring countries, providing Stinger missiles to UNITA, anti-tank missiles and weapons of any kind to counter ' MPLA.
In 1987, the Angolan government then decided to launch a massive offensive in the south of the country to regain possession of the southern regions. Despite the negative opinion of Cuban military advisers, the Angolan army launched an attack across the region along the border with South Africa. In response, South African forces invaded the southern regions of Angola once again giving way to military operations Modular and Hooper and resisting the regular forces of Angola to the town of Cuito Cuanavale from where it began the offensive. Consequently
Cuba sent 55,000 troops to Angola to repel the armed forces of South Africa. The two armies clashed in the battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the bloodiest ever in Africa after the end of World War II. Although both sides claimed victory, on this occasion, Cuban forces managed to repel the invaders in South Africa. The consequences were a strong offensive against the territory of Namibia and plants hydroelectric Calueque. The 27 MiG-23 giugno1988 some Cubans, who by then had managed to take the Angolan air supremacy of the skies, the hydroelectric plant bombed killing 12 South African soldiers. At the end of the South African Government proposed to the governments of Angola and Cuban
the truce in 1987 was taken into account the possibility of recognizing the independence of Change.
Cuba and the Soviet Union to secure the withdrawal of their troops as soon as the South African armed forces had withdrawn from Angola, and promised to cease the supply of arms to Angola. These agreements, which was attended by some Angola, Swapo and Cuba, the other South Africa and the United States, signed the request for ceasefire by the South African government gave new force to the UN resolution which was then ratified in December 1988. The Democratic Republic of Angola finally approved the Protocol of Brazzaville, the withdrawal of Cuban troops in place by accepting a commission of international observers headed by former Soviet Union and the United States for peacekeeping. At the same time South Africa agreed to sell the sovereignty of Namibia to the United Nations.
Despite the guarantee of independence from South Africa to receive the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, one of the armed wing of SWAPO, he decided to fill with about 2 000 men of the territories of northern Namibia to secure control of the country once it was become independent. On the advice of 'then British Prime Minister Mrs. Thacher, who was on a state visit to South Africa, Martti Ahtisaari took a small contingent of South African army to intervene to restore order in the northern provinces of the country.
The transition to 'independence lasted about eleven months, from every point of view was pretty quiet.
South Africa withdrew its troops from Namibia, political prisoners were released and 42 000 refugees preparing to return home. In November 1989 the first elections were held which saw the victory of SWAPO party with 57% of votes in a handful of votes from two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution which was approved by South Africa. The opposition Democratic Turnhalle Alliance went to the party which received 29% of the vote. Finally, the first council meeting of the newly elected parliament, was held November 29, 1989.
0 comments:
Post a Comment