This article describes internal and international aspects of the conflict in Angola. It starts with an overview of the country and its people, and Portugal’s role in its history, then looks at the various nationalist movements – the MPLA, UPA, and FNLA. The article then gives background to international involvement by the following: Portugal, the Soviet Union, Cuba, the United States, and Western Europe, and it also describes South Africa’s reasons for involvement in the region, which can be found within the context of the Government’s detente policy.
