Angola HistoryAccording to the Angola history, the Bushmen were the first settlers in Angola and were great hunters. At the beginning of the sixth century, Bantu people came from the north of Africa, somewhere near the present day Republic of Cameroon. When they reached what is now Angola, they uncounted the Bushmen and other groups that they considered less advanced then themselves and because of their superior knowledge of metal working, ceramic and agriculture, they dominated the bushmen. The first major political entity in the Angola history was the Kingdom of Congo that appeared in the thirteenth century. It stretched from Gabon in the North, the Kwanza River in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Cuango River in the East.
The fall of the Portuguese monarchy and a favourable international climate led to reforms in administration, agriculture and education. The 1950s political organisations started to emerge, demanding their rights, initiating diplomatic campaigns throughout the world in their fight for independence. The colonial power, refused to accede to the nationalist’s demands, thereby provoking the armed conflict that came to be known as the “Armed Struggle”. The MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), FNLA(National Front for the Liberation of Angola) and UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) were the principal political entities. After many years of conflict, the nation gained its independence on the 11th November 1975. According to popular Angola history, UNITA fought against the Portuguese until 1974, but after independence under the President Neto, Savimbi instituted a civil war from bases close to the Namibian border, supported by South Africa, until negotiations brought the war to an end, allowing elections to be held in 1992. Fighting resumed after the election when the result was inconclusive.
In 2000 President Dos Santos announced that all of Jonas Savimbi's rebels, "perhaps Savimbi himself," would be well received by the government if they lay down their weapons. UNITA rejected the offer of a pardon and said it would continue to wage war. The President reiterated that he would "offer peace to whom wants peace, and war to whom wants war." Savimbi was killed by Angolan government troops (FAA) after a fierce gun battle near Lucusse, about 700 km east of Luanda, the capital on February 22, 2002. By this time many Angolan refugees fled to nearby countries Zambia, Namibia, and Democratic Congo. Some refugees have already returned home to help re-build the country. Today more and more businesses are investing into the Angolan economy and the country is viewed by many as a stable environment.
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