1987–1988
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale
Large-scale fighting around Cuito Cuanavale in Angola involved FAPLA, Cuban forces and the SADF, becoming a military and political turning point in the Border War.
established
battle
war
Large-scale fighting around Cuito Cuanavale in Angola involved FAPLA, Cuban forces and the SADF, becoming a military and political turning point in the Border War.
Significance
Widely treated as a hinge toward negotiations that produced the 1988 settlement chain and Namibian independence.
Why it matters
Widely treated as a hinge toward negotiations that produced the 1988 settlement chain and Namibian independence.
Disputed interpretations
Who 'won' Cuito Cuanavale remains contested among South African, Angolan, Cuban and Western accounts.