Jonas Savimbi
Jonas Savimbi | |
|---|---|
Savimbi in October 1990 | |
| Birth name | Jonas Malheiro Sidónio Sakaita Savimbi |
| Born | 3 August 1934 |
| Died | 22 February 2002 (aged 67) Lucusse, Moxico Province, Angola |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Allegiance | Political organizations: FNLA (1961-64) MPLA (1964–65) UNITA (1966–2002) State: Democratic People's Republic of Angola (1975–1976, 1979–2002) |
| Service years | 1964–2002 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | President and Supreme Commander of UNITA (1966–2002) |
| Known for | Co-President and President of the Democratic People's Republic of Angola |
| Conflicts | Angolan War of Independence Angolan Civil War |
Jonas Malheiro Sidónio Sakaita Savimbi (Portuguese: [ˈʒɔnɐʃ ˈsavĩbi]; 3 August 1934 – 22 February 2002) was an Angolan revolutionary, politician, and rebel military leader who founded and led the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, also known as UNITA. UNITA was one of several groups which waged a guerrilla war against Portuguese colonial rule from 1966 to 1974. Once independence was achieved, it then became an anti-communist group, which confronted the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, also known as the MPLA, during the Angolan Civil War. Savimbi was killed in a clash with government troops in 2002.