National Liberation Front of Angola
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The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Portuguese: Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola) is a political movement in Angola. The FNLA was founded by Holden Roberto in 1957 as the Union of the Populations of Northern Angola (União das Populações do Norte de Angola).
FNLA was one of the three national liberation movements which fought against Portuguese colonial rule in Angola. The other two were the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). UNITA was a splinter-group of the FNLA that was formed in March 1966 when Jonas Savimbi left the FNLA to establish his own organization.
After a long battle with Portuguese colonial forces, Angola became independent in 1975. Shortly before, a civil war broke out between the MPLA, UNITA and FNLA. The importance of FNLA declined rapidly as UNITA established itself as the main anti-MPLA opposition movement. The struggle was complicated by the fact that all three groups received foreign backing. The FNLA received the support of the People's Republic of China and Zaire but by the late 1970s they had withdrawn their military aid as the FNLA had been crushed. It has been claimed that Roberto and the FNLA were financially supported by the American Central Intelligence Agency[citation needed].
Some foreigners who fought for the FNLA in 1975 and 1976 were captured by the MPLA and tried as mercenaries (see Luanda Trial). On June 28, 1976, an Angolan court sentenced four mercenaries to death and nine others to prison terms ranging from 16 to 30 years. The three Britons and an American were shot by a firing squad on July 10, 1976.
Ahead of the first multiparty elections in 1992, FNLA was reorganized as a political party. FNLA received 2.4% of the votes and won five Members of Parliament. It mainly receives its support from the Northern regions of the country. As of 2006, the party is still led by Roberto.
