Cuito Cuanavale, occasionally spelt Kuito Kuanavale or Kwito Kwanavale, is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in Cuando province in Angola. The area around the town was the scene of heavy fighting during various campaigns during the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

and the

South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...

, with the

Battle of Cuito Cuanavale The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was fought intermittently between 14 August 1987 and 23 March 1988, south and east of Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and Cuba against South Africa an ...

from 1987 to 1988 being the largest land battle in Africa since

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

History

It was in this municipality that some of the bloodiest clashes of the

took place. On the one hand, the FAPLA, the armed forces of the

MPLA The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (, abbr. MPLA), from 1977–1990 called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (), is an Angolan social democratic political party. The MPLA fought against the P ...

, at the height of power fought, supported by the

Cuban army The Cuban Revolutionary Army () serve as the ground forces of Cuba. Formed in 1868 during the Ten Years' War, it was originally known as the Cuban Constitutional Army. Following the Cuban Revolution, the revolutionary military forces was recon ...

, and on the other, the FALA, armed forces of

UNITA The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (, abbr. UNITA) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Liberat ...

, supported by the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

. Thousands of combatants died on both sides. At the end of the battle of Cuito Cuanavale, both UNITA and the MPLA declared themselves victorious. The biggest consequence of this conflict was the withdrawal of

Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

and South African forces from Angolan territory, and the consequent

independence of Namibia The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...

Description

Cuito Cuanavale is a

in Cuando province in Angola since that province's creation from

Cuando Cubango Province Cuando Cubango (Umbundu: Kwando Kubango Volupale) was a former province of Angola. It was divided into the provinces of Cuando and Cubango in 2024. Cuando Cubango had an area of 199,049km2 and a population of 534,002 in 2014. Menongue was the ...

in 2024. It is sometimes spelt Kuito Kuanavale or Kwito Kwanavale. It is further subdivided into the

communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of Cuito Cuanavale and Lupire. The town is situated at the confluence of two local rivers, the Cuito and the Cuanavale, from which it derives its name. The Cuanavale feeds into the Cuito, which is a principal tributary of the

Okavango River The Okavango River (formerly spelt Okovango or Okovanggo), is a river in southwest Africa. It is known by this name in Botswana, and as Cubango in Angola, and Kavango in Namibia. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, runni ...

, and helps to maintain the ecology of the

Okavango Delta The Okavango Delta or Okavango Grassland is a vast inland delta in Botswana formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough at an elevation of in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari Desert. It is a UNESCO Wor ...

. Cuito Cuanavale covers an

area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

of around and its

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

as of 2014 was 40,829 inhabitants. Its projected population for 2022 was estimated to be 51,797. As of the 2024 municipal reform, it is bordered by the municipalities of Dima to the east and

Mavinga Mavinga is a municipality in Angola, and the capital of Cuando Province since that province's creation in 2024. It is one of the three municipalities in Angola whose inhabitants are predominantly Mbunda. The municipality had a population of 27, ...

to the southeast, which are both in Cuando Province. It is also bordered to the west by Longa in

Cubango Province Cubango is a Provinces of Angola, province of Angola. It was created on 5 September 2024 from the western part of Cuando Cubango Province. Its capital is Menongue. Geography and climate Cubango borders the Angolan provinces of Cunene Province, Cu ...

, and by Alto Cuito to the north and Cangamba to the northeast, both municipalities in

Moxico Province Moxico (Portuguese spelling) or Moshiko (Bantu spelling) is the largest Provinces of Angola, province of Angola. It used to have an area of , which corresponded to 18% of the landmass of Angola. The province has a population of 758,568 accordin ...

. The town is served by

Cuito Cuanavale Airport Cuito Cuanavale Airport is an airport serving Cuito Cuanavale in Cuando Cubango Province, Angola. The Cuito Cuanavale non-directional beacon (Ident: CV) is located on the field. See also * * * List of airports in Angola * Transport in Angol ...

. The city day is celebrated on October 21, with an annual celebration being organized for the occasion.

Minefields

Dangerous

minefield A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...

s are a legacy of the 1980s war in Cuito Cuanavale; it is the most-mined town in Angola. Among many others in the area, where tens of thousands of mines were laid, is one designated by the

HALO Trust The HALO Trust (Hazardous Area Life-support Organization) is a humanitarian non-government organisation which primarily works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts. With over 10,000 staff worldwide, HALO has ope ...

as HKK029 – "one of the largest and most complicated minefields in the world", with an overall length of . They were laid by South African forces and

as they withdrew and retreated after the battle. The local people have paid a price in injuries and the mines have negatively impacted the local economy.

References

* {{Authority control Populated places in Cuando Province Municipalities of Angola Battle of Cuito Cuanavale