Angola: From Independence to Civil War

In 1975, Angola finally won its independence. After centuries of colonial rule,

the nation stood ready to define its own future. But freedom arrived hand in hand with

war. Almost immediately, rival movements—once united against colonialism—turned their weapons on

each other. The dream of independence collapsed into a brutal civil war that would last

nearly three decades. What began as a struggle for power became a war that consumed an entire

country. Cities became battlefields. Villages were caught in between. Ordinary people—farmers,

children, families—paid the highest price. Roads were mined. Fields were burned.

Hunger spread as fighting destroyed schools, hospitals, and homes.