Talk:Jonas Savimbi
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This page still needs work. The most blatant POV has been removed, but the article still reads a little too pro Savimbi. The failure to take Cuito Cuanavale in 1988 showed that military victory in the conflict was near-impossible, and caused the apartheid government in South to re-evaluate its support too, playing a role in the end of apartheid two years later. UNITA's near-destruction in 1990 should also be mentioned. Greenman - 16/5/2004
- "but the article still reads a little too pro Savimbi" Really true, half way through the article and i was obsolutely certain the article was written by someone who liked Savimbi. But, then again, turning down the electral result was not that positive.
Response: Savimbi's ultimate inability to win militarily seems adequately represented. Also, the support from South Africa, Ivory Coast, Zaire, etc. is interesting, but it was the U.S. support that elevated this conflict to international stature. The "government" of Angola also had support from some/many African nations; no need to reference all of them. Also, I suppose you can call Angola a "government," but it has held power by force, continues to reject elections, is generally autocratic/totalitarian, so the previous use of the word "regime" to describe it is not so off-base, but will let that stand.
In an article about Jonas Savimbi, mentioning his African friends is far more important than mentioning Michael Johns. But regardless, the article needs expansion, not cutting down! The apartheid government's failure to win a miltary victory had a role to play in the demise of apartheid. And UNITA were welcome in Mobutu's Zaire. Greenman - 19/5/2004
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[edit] Tito Chingunji
The death of Tito Chingunji needs to be mentioned somewhere in this article.
- It is. (Perhaps it was added since the above comment, which includes no date) - DavidWBrooks 21:18, 21 Jan 2005 (UTC)
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- Yeah, I added it right after it was mentioned. Everyking 01:38, 22 Jan 2005 (UTC)
It seems to me that a more explicity reference should be made to the fact there were tens of thousands of Cuban troops in Angola, "advisors" is a Soviet Bloc euphemism.
[edit] Where is Namibia?
Strange not to see any reference to Namibia in the article on Savimbi. Namibia was involved in the Angolan war. Unita has launced attacks on Namibia and in one of them even tourists got killed while travelling in the Caprivi strip. In Namibia it is an open secret that Savimbi was actually killed by Namibian troops.
Additional comment: The article seems to have been re-edited to also remove any reference to South African support for UNITA and Savimbi. The SADF won many of the victories credited to UNITA - much as Cuban troops won many FAPLA victories. While the Cuban troops (NB: see comment below), there is now essentially NO reference to South African military support. Why is this? Although UNITA liked to pose as the "party of the Black African" they did not hesitate to accept arms, money and military support from the apartheid regime at its very worst.
[edit] Cuban "Advisors"
Shouldn't there be a more explicit reference should be made to the fact there were tens of thousands of Cuban troops in Angola? "Advisors" seems a euphemism.
I'd put it in myself, but I'm not sure on the exact number.
Additional comment: The exact number is not known and varied wildly over the course of the war, depending on Soviet funding. To be clear, these were not "advisors". Combat troops included artillery, mobile artillery, elite commando units and other ground troops. The Cubans also basically supplied Luanda with doctors and medical care following the departure of the Portuguese in 1975. As late as when I was there in the mid-1990s, the best private clinic in Luanda was the pink "Portuguese" clinic founded and largely staffed by Cubans.
[edit] Anti-communist maoist
I am troubled by the description of Savimbi as an anti-communist who was a Maoist supported by China. Would it be better to look at the entire Angola civil war as something other than a proxy for the US and the Soviet Union? Bronx educator 01:09, 17 September 2007 (UTC)
- No. Perspicacite 13:24, 17 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Death
The introduction says he was assassinated, yet the article describes his death in battle. This contradiction needs to be cleared up. 17:29, 2 February 2008 (UTC)
