Angolans and Cubans recall Cuito Cuanavale’s victory

Cubans and Angolans on Tuesday recalled the heroism of the two peoples’ combatants during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, whose 36th anniversary of its victory was marked on March 23.
 
In a tribute at the National Museum of Military History, convened by the Embassy of Cuba, participants in the battle, officers from the Angolan Armed Forces, and representatives of Cuba’s diplomatic mission, Antex S.A., and the diplomatic corps accredited here, underlined the importance of that feat.

Cuban Ambassador Oscar León, in the presence of Lieutenant General Waldemar Ulica Tchipilica, representative of the Military House of the President of the Republic, recalled the action as an event that consolidated Angola’s independence and territorial integrity.

It was an event that changed Southern African geopolitics, with the independence of Namibia and the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa, León added.

He praised the value of the combatants from the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and the Cuban internationalists, who defeated the myth of the invincibility of the most powerful army in the region at the time, and forced an agreement to be reached at the negotiating table.

The ambassador praised the Angolan Government’s willingness to educate the new generations in the study of the country’s history, and noted that the National Museum of Military History was an example of that purpose.

León recalled the words of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, who highlighted the relations of solidarity and friendship between Angola and Cuba as an example for other countries, not only in the struggle, but also in the subsequent stage.

The Cuban diplomat added that these have been maintained over the years and in 2025, both nations will celebrate half a century of diplomatic relations.

During the event, Lieutenant General Fernando Amândio Mateus gave a detailed explanation of the political context that surrounded the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale and the development of military actions.

An exceptional witness to the events, “Nando”, as he is known, delved into the strategy followed by the Angolan command to remove the South Africans from the national territory, where they had penetrated 400 kilometers.

The military officer pointed out that at a time when the FAPLA were decimated under the powerful South African fire and required artillery specialists and to complete the armored crews, Cuba’s reinforcement was a great help, and the contribution of the aviation was very valuable with their MiG-23s to achieve victory.

Other protagonists of the Battle (November 15, 1987-March 23, 1988), such as Brigadiers Evaristo Domingos and Joaquín Fernando Marcos, referred to the vicissitudes of combat, and the courage and resistance of the combatants, who overcame obstacles and achieved victory.

Also present at the event were representatives of Cuba solidarity organizations, the director for the Americas at the Angolan Foreign Ministry, Felisberto dos Prazeres, and the deputy director of the National Museum of Military History, Colonel Alves Sonetunda.