Jonas Savimbi

Jonas Malheiro Savimbi (Known as "The Black Cockerel")

Founder and Leader of UNITA, Political Scientist, Guerrilla Strategist

Born 1934-08-03

Munhango, Angola

Passed Away 2002-02-22 Lucusse, Angola

Lifespan 67 years old

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"The tree may be battered by the fiercest winds, but as long as its roots grip the earth, it will never fall."

Archival Overview

Charismatic and controversial Angolan guerrilla strategist and political scientist who founded UNITA, fought Portuguese colonial rule, and waged a 27-year civil war.

Biographical Record

Jonas Malheiro Savimbi was born on August 3, 1934, in Munhango, Bie Province. The son of an Ovimbundu stationmaster and pastor, he earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Breaking with Holden Roberto's FNLA, Savimbi founded the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) in 1966 at Muangai, organizing rural guerrilla forces among the Ovimbundu of the central highlands. Following Angolan independence in 1975, Savimbi fought against the Soviet-backed MPLA government in a protracted civil war that spanned the Cold War. A formidable orator and bush fighter, he was killed in action in Moxico province on February 22, 2002, paving the way for the Angolan peace accords.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Lopitanga Family Cemetery
Andulo, Angola

                         GPS: -11.9000, 16.7000                    

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