Origin In 1954, the United People of Northern Angola (UPNA) was formed as a separatist movement for the
Bakongo tribe who wished to re-establish its 16th-century feudal kingdom but was also a protest movement against forced labour. Holden Roberto was to be the king of that land. It was said more than a million refugees fled the north of Angola for Zaire. Over the course of many years, the governments of
Algeria,
Tunisia,
West Germany,
Ghana,
Israel,
France,
Romania, the
People's Republic of China,
South Africa, the
United States,
Zaire, and
Liberia actively supported and aided the FNLA. The French government supplied men and loaned one million pounds sterling without interest. The
Israeli government gave aid to the FNLA between 1963 and 1969.
Holden Roberto visited Israel during the 1960s, and FNLA members were sent to Israel for training. During the 1970s, the Israeli government shipped arms to the FNLA through
Zaire. The People's Republic of China supplied the FNLA with military equipment and at least 112 military advisers in 1974.
Break up of GRAE By July 1964, GRAE's right as the only liberation movement was challenged with the resignation of the Congolese Prime Minister
Cyrille Adoula, their backer, and the departure of Jonas Savimbi, who went on to form his own liberation movement
UNITA because of Roberto's dictatorial leadership, unwillingness to accept non-western support and a lack of a political program. In August 1974, the Portuguese Angolan government had proposed a two-year plan for independence with the three groups and white settlers forming a coalition government but this was rejected outright.
Transitional government's failure Within 24 hours of the Alvor Agreement, fighting broke out in Luanda amongst the FNLA and MPLA with further violence on 23 March when the MPLAs
Lopo do Nascimento was subject to an assassination attempt by the FNLA. In addition to the money, the US supplied weapons to Zaire which, in turn, passed them on to the FNLA, and also supplied several thousand troops. On 11 January 1976, FAPLA and the Cubans captured
Ambriz and
Ambrizete from the FNLA and then advanced on their headquarters at São Salvador its route defended by foreign mercenaries under
Colonel Callan and elements of the FNLA. Elements of the FNLA continued the fight after Roberto left, now called the FNLA-COMIRA (
Angolan Military Resistance Committee) but ceased to exist by 1983. == Electoral history ==