The Formation and Development of the Angolan Armed Forces

By Miguel Junior

This book describes the structuring grounds of Angola’s national army as well as their historical background. Likewise, it portrays the stages and aspects of the process of structuring. Given that the national army is a fact, this book also includes a reflection on its state of organization together with the identification of some aspects that may contribute to its further development. It is in this perspective that, in general, the parameters for the organization and development of the Angolan Armed Forces are highlighted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Apr 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728387529

Miguel Junior

Miguel Junior is a general officer of the Angolan Armed Forces and military historian. He is author of several works and has published articles on defense, security and history.

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© 2019 Miguel Junior. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/24/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8750-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8751-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-8752-9 (e)

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Contents

Acronyms

Introduction

1. The Formation and Development of the Angolan Armed Forces

1.1 Grounds for Structuring

1.2 The Historical Background

1.3 The Process of Structuring

2. Military Reform

2.1 The Character of the Military Organisation

2.2 The Mainstays of the Organisational Structure

2.3 The Assumptions of Military Reform

3. In Search of Autonomy

3.1 The Conception of National Security

3.2 Military Security Instruments

3.3 Military Subsystems

4. Military History

4.1 The Aim of Military History

4.2 The Study of Military History

5. Military Research

5.1 The Outlines of Military Research

5.2 The Organisation of Military Research

Conclusion

Bibliography

Collective Works

Official Documents

Acronyms

CCFA Joint Commission for the Formation of the Armed Forces

CCPM Political Military Joint Commission

CPPA Body of People’s Police of Angola

CSFAA Higher Command Angolan Armed Forces

DISA Direction of Information and Security of Angola

EMGFAA Joint Chiefs of Staff Angolan Armed Forces

FAA Angolan Armed Forces

FALA Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola

FAPLA People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola

JMPLA Youth Organisation

MPLA-PT Party of Work

ODP Organisation of Popular Defence

UNITA National Union for the Total Independence of Angola

Introduction

The Angolan Armed Forces were formed in a context marked by several changes. The mainstays of their establishment are the principles agreed upon in Portugal, Bicesse, in 1991, between the Angolan government and UNITA. However, it is necessary to identify the set of main formal provisions that allowed the establishment of the national army in order to have a more accurate idea about the documents that guided its formation.

Therefore, this book describes the structuring grounds of the national army, as well as their historical background. Likewise, it portrays the stages of the structuring process and other aspects. Given that the national army is a fact, there is also a reflection about its state of organisation, and some aspects that may contribute to its further development are identified. It is in this perspective that, in general, the parameters for the organisation and development of the armed forces are generally highlighted.

In this view, and fulfilling the need to explain more correctly certain principles of organisation, the character of the military organisation is explained, and issues that have given a distinct identity to the armed forces are commented on, without ignoring the mainstays of the organisational military structure. On the other hand, there are contextual and organisational elements that require the armed forces to be reformed. It is not enough to think of military reform in order to achieve other organisational levels and improve the operation. The aspects responsible for a significant part of the aims must be identified. To that end, theoretical and practical aspects of military reform are listed and clues on how to enact military reform are provided.

The Angolan state has long dealt with matters of national security. Nevertheless, matters of national security must always be dealt with in a perspective of autonomy.

In effect, a historic review was carried out of the conception of national security that guided the Angolan state until 1991, without ignoring the demands arising from matters of national security and current developments. Given that autonomy must extend to the different domains of military organisation, a description is made of fundamental instruments of military security and the aim that they pursue. Given that military edification must also be carried out in order to create self-sufficiency, the military subsystems are analysed within a perspective of autonomy.

Likewise, the military greatness of a nation has to do with the record of its military history and the way that it treats it. Hence, an immediate concern has to do with a need to value military history and know its aim and the way that it articulates with the other branches of military science.

Angolan military history must be based on political, economic, diplomatic, military, and other facts to prevent producing an out-of-context and mutilated military history.

Another aspect stems from the need to value military research, as it constitutes an important base to work on. Moreover, military research is responsible for the improvement and development of armies. To this end, the outlines of military research are sketched so that one can perceive them and the way they work. Attention is focused on five great moments. Meanwhile, because a work like this cannot avoid methodological demands, it takes into account a whole set of elements to not neglect the methodologies of military research. To this end, methods of military research deriving from theoretical-military thought combined with other research schemes were used, as well as methodologies relating to social sciences in general. Preparing a work of this nature is not an easy task, taking into account the nature and purposes of military research itself.

Other elements relative to research are perceived, and readers will identify them as soon as they read the five chapters herein. They will obtain further information by checking the bibliography, which is formed by several entries that include books of various authors, official documents, speeches, conferences, and articles from magazines and newspapers.

In fact, this work is an initiative of the author, who had to carry out a set of steps. He began by forwarding the research project for consideration to the direction of the Ministry of National Defence, particularly to the minister of National Defence, General Kundy Paihama.The research project was submitted to the Ministry of National Defence because under the Law on National Defence and the Armed Forces (article 14.5 b), the ministry is responsible for promoting and stimulating study and research of the issues regarding national defence.

Having obtained permission, the author went on to coordinate the project with the Institute of National Defence of Angola. In the course of the works, many entities were consulted.

This moment is availed to acknowledge the decision of the minister of National Defence, General Kundy Paihama, who approved the project and ordered the conditions to be provided for the work. It is, in fact, a high-carat decision, as a need was felt for these works, which at the same time marks the support of the Ministry of National Defence to projects of this kind. A note of gratitude is also owed to army general Armando da Cruz Neto, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the FAA, whose opinion was decisive for the approval of the project. He understood the meaning of this research and its timeliness for the life of the armed forces and was always interested in the publication of its results.

Acknowledgements extend to General Eduardo Ferreira Martins (Dinho Martins) for his attention as well as for all his encouragement and support. Moreover, his flexible attitude allowed overcoming the reductive vision that some intended to establish for this project. A note of appreciation goes to General Jerónimo Jorge N. Ukuma (Regresso) for his attention and for the support that he always gave to the project. Acknowledgements also go to General Renato Campos Mateus for input that allowed making a more accurate description of some aspects regarding FALA. His input was timely. The same can be said of General Antonio Ndala Inkaka and Vice Admiral André Gaspar M. de Carvalho (Miau), as they streamlined everything that they were tasked with in the scope of the project.

A thank you note is also owed to Generals Geraldo Sachipendo Nunda and Paulo Lara, who read the manuscript and made some comments that helped clarify some points. An expression of gratitude is in order to the Angolan Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain and to the defence chancelleries of Angola in Brazil, Portugal, Russia, and South Africa, especially to Generals Pedro Sebastião, Benigno Vieira Lopes (Ingo), Mbeto Traça, João José Afonso da Silva (Mayunga), and Brigadier Luís Muxito, whose opinions and comments proved indispensable in enriching the work.

A word of acknowledgement also to the Direction of National Defence Policy for the support granted and to the Documentation Centre of MPLA, where searching for certain documents on the FAPLA was quite useful.

Finally, further gratitude to Lieutenant Generals Júlio Arsénio, Hélder Diógenes, Barbosa Epalanga, Luís Gabriel Patrício (Cagy), Manuel Luís Neto (Kassapa), Justino da Glória, Américo Valente, Vice Admiral António Miranda, Brigadier João Francisco Cristóvão, and Colonel António Custódio, who contributed by naming sources, documents, and solidarity.

Finally, a warm embrace to all who contributed to the conclusion of this work.

1

The Formation and Development of the Angolan Armed Forces

This chapter exposes matters relating to the formation and development of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). It all starts with the structuring grounds, which are the guiding documents that gave way to the national army. After presenting said subsidies, attention is given to the data that constitute the historical background and represent an important part of the process in analysis.

Historical background provides certain measurable indicators that allow forming a judgement of value regarding the People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA).¹ Some figures are presented on the technical and combat means possessed by those two military forces.

We then show data on the structuring process, including elements that give an idea of how things are processed in the different stages and which factors must be considered in the field of organisation and development of the FAA.

1.1 Grounds for Structuring

We must assume that the initial formation of the new national army had to be based on the FAPLA, as the political power established at the time had proposed its separation from the party. But what arguments legitimised such an attitude by the political power established at that time?

The answer begins with another question of extreme importance, without which the reasoning would be impaired: What, in fact, was the FAPLA?

Although there was a democratic and popular system in Angola, where the state was confused with a party in power and the latter represented a supreme force of the nation, in reality, the FAPLA were the national army. They were no longer an armed organisation. Their nature as a national army did not only derive from constitutional demands but also from the way that citizens would join their ranks and from the very composition of the troops at different levels.

In the FAPLA, all races and ethnicities were represented. This composition was a result of the way that national reality was understood and the idea that the nation was in fact threatened and had to declare war. Also, the character of the war of aggression required armed forces prepared for the challenge—hence these elements constituted the fundamental lever for the existence of the FAPLA and not others. Moreover, a political, ideological, and partisan component was patent in the army, but in a rather low percentage and without great weight.

The numbers speak for themselves. There were 279 cells and four committees of the party. There were 4,779 members of the party and 6,142 aspirants of the youth organisation JMPLA. There were 742 sections, twelve youth committees, and 18,337 members.² The members of the Party of Work (MPLA-PT) and JMPLA totalled 29,258 individuals. The FAPLA were, however, 175,549 troops.

Comparing the effective number of the FAPLA with the members of the MPLA and its youth organisation, one can spot the difference. This reading legitimises the thesis according to which the then–national army was not totally partisan, and the partisan component did not overlap the other in the context of the military organisation.

The FAPLA were not wholly partisan, thus they could become a base to form the new army without being disbanded. It can be said that this constituted a first platform of work for the establishment of the FAA.

Once the proposal was rejected, efforts were guided to form the FAA based on elements originating from the FAPLA and the FALA. Thus arose the idea of forming a national army with a sense of numerical parity as to the supply of the staff.³ This position was welcomed, and thus the peace agreements in Bicesse, Portugal, were signed on 31 May 1991.

As a way of granting legal force to the principles established, the aforementioned agreements were submitted to the approval of the People’s Assembly.⁴ Thus they were guaranteed the legal bases to build the new national army. Chapter VI of the Estoril Protocol establishes the general principles of staff training, sets the number of troops, and defines the structures of command of troops as well as the technical assistance from foreign countries.

Lastly, it outlines the modalities to demobilise the different military forces. Those are the five points that interlinked the whole process of edification of the FAA