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{{Short description|Ruling party of Angola since 1975}}
{{refimprove|date=February 2012}}
{{For|the rebel group in Mali|People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad}}
{{Infobox Political party
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
|country = Angola
{{Infobox political party
|name_english = People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labour Party
| name = People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola
|name_native = Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho
| native_name = {{lang|pt|Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola}}
|colorcode = red
|logo = [[Image:Bandeira do MPLA.svg|200px]]
| logo = Logo of the MPLA (Angola).svg
| colorcode = {{Party color|MPLA}}
|leader = [[José Eduardo dos Santos]]
| abbreviation = MPLA
|president = [[José Eduardo dos Santos]]
| presidium =
|chairperson =
| governing_body =
|spokesperson =
| leader1_title = Chairman
|leader1_name =
| leader1_name = [[João Lourenço]]
|foundation = December 1, 1956
| leader2_title = {{nowrap|Secretary-General}}
|dissolution =
| leader2_name = Paulo Pombolo
|headquarters = [[Luanda]], [[Angola]]
| founders = [[Agostinho Neto]]<br/>[[Viriato da Cruz]]
|newspaper =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1956|12|10|df=y}}
|youth_wing = [[Youth of MPLA]]
| merger = [[Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola|PLUAA]]<br>[[Angolan Communist Party|PCA]]
|membership_year =
| headquarters = [[Luanda]], [[Luanda Province]]
|membership =
| newspaper = ''[[Jornal de Angola]]''
|ideology = [[Social democracy]] <br>(self-declared)<ref name="Santos"/><br><small>1977-1991: [[Marxism-Leninism]] (official)<ref name="Santos"/></small>
| think_tank =
|national =
| wing1_title = Paramilitary wing
|international = [[Socialist International]]
| wing1 = [[People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola]] (1956–1993)
|colors =
| student_wing =
|seats1_title = Seats in the [[National Assembly of Angola|National Assembly]]
| youth_wing = [[Youth of MPLA]]
|seats1 = {{Infobox political party/seats|191|220|hex=#FF0000}}
| womens_wing = [[Organization of Angolan Women]]
|website = [http://www.mpla-angola.org/ http://www.mpla-angola.org/]
| membership_year = 2022
|footnotes =
| membership = 3,000,000<ref>{{cite news |date=18 August 2022 |title= MPLA: João Lourenço diz que teve a coragem de lutar contra a corrupção |trans-title= |url=https://observador.pt/2022/08/18/mpla-joao-lourenco-diz-que-teve-a-coragem-de-lutar-contra-a-corrupcao/ |language=Portuguese |work=[[Observador]] |publisher= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830151951/https://observador.pt/2022/08/18/mpla-joao-lourenco-diz-que-teve-a-coragem-de-lutar-contra-a-corrupcao/ |archive-date=30 August 2022 }}</ref>
| ideology = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
|[[Nationalism|Angolan nationalism]]{{refn|<ref name=fernando>{{cite book |last1=Andresen Guimarães |first1=Fernando |date=2001 |title=The Origins of the Angolan Civil War: Foreign Intervention and Domestic Political Conflict, 1961–76 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-0-230-59826-3 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |doi=10.1007/978-0-230-59826-3 |doi-broken-date=2 November 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Péclard |first1=Didier |date=31 August 2021 |title=Nationalism, Liberation, and Decolonization in Angola |url=https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-640 |journal=[[Oxford University Press|Oxford Academic – African History]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.640 |isbn=978-0-19-027773-4 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>}}
|[[Social democracy]]{{refn|<ref name=social>{{cite book |last1=C. Docherty |first1=James |last2=Lamb |first2=Peter |date=2006 |title=Historical Dictionary of Socialism |url=https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442258266/Historical-Dictionary-of-Socialism-Third-Edition |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=276 }}</ref><ref name=poddar>{{cite book |editor-last1=Poddar |editor-first1=Prem |editor-last2=S. Patke |editor-first2=Rajeev |editor-last3=Jensen |editor-first3=Lars |date=2008 |title=A Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures – Continental Europe and its Empires |url= |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |pages=480–481 |quote= }}</ref>}}
|[[Democratic socialism]]{{refn|<ref name=social/><ref name="MPLA">{{cite web |title=Estatuto do MPLA |url=https://mpla.ao/ao/documentos/estatuto-do-mpla/ |website=MPLA.ao |publisher=MPLA |access-date=8 June 2022 }}</ref>}}
|'''1976–1990:'''
{{refn|<ref name=bogdan>{{cite book |editor-last1=Szajkowski |editor-first1=Bogdan |date=1981 |title=Marxist Governments: A World Survey |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-349-04329-3 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |pages=72–76 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-04329-3 |isbn=978-1-349-04331-6 }}</ref><ref name=fernando/><ref name=afro>{{cite book |last1=Hodges |first1=Tony |date=2001 |title=Angola: From Afro-Stalinism to Petro-Diamond Capitalism |url= |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ball |first1=Jeremy |date=20 November 2017 |title=The History of Angola |url-access=subscription |url=https://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-180 |journal=[[Oxford University Press|Oxford Academic – African History]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=20 |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.180 |isbn=978-0-19-027773-4 |quote=The MPLA adopted Marxism in 1976, which strengthened its ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union. }}</ref>}}
|[[Communism]]{{refn|<ref name=bogdan/><ref name=poddar/><ref name=afro/>}}
|[[Marxism-Leninism]]{{refn|<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Drew |editor-first1=Allison |date=1 May 2013 |chapter=16 |chapter-url=https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/35402/chapter-abstract/302648393?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false |chapter-url-access=subscription |title=The Oxford Handbook of the History of Communism |url=https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/35402 |url-access= |publisher=[[Oxford University Press|Oxford Academic]] |pages=285–302 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199602056.013.003 }}</ref>}}
|[[Left-wing nationalism]]{{refn|<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Vanaik |first1=Achin |date=13 December 2021 |title=Humanitarian Intervention Is a Cloak for Military Aggression |url=https://jacobin.com/2021/12/humanitarian-intervention-cloak-military-aggression-human-rights |url-status=live |magazine=[[Jacobin (magazine)|Jacobin]] |publisher= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701020108/https://jacobin.com/2021/12/humanitarian-intervention-cloak-military-aggression-human-rights |archive-date=1 July 2022 }}</ref>}}
}}
}}
| position = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
The '''People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labour Party''' ({{lang-pt|Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho}}) is a [[political party]] that has ruled [[Angola]] since the country's independence from [[Portugal]] in 1975. The MPLA fought against the [[Portuguese army]] in the [[Angolan War of Independence]] of 1961-74, and defeated [[UNITA]] and the [[FNLA]] in the decolonization conflict 1974-75 and the [[Angolan Civil War]] of 1975-2002.
|[[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]] to [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]]
|'''1976–1990:'''
|[[Left-wing politics|Left-wing]] to [[Far-left politics|far-left]]
}}
| national =
| international = [[Socialist International]] (since 2006)<ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Socialism|year=2006|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield#Imprints|The Scarecrow Press]]|isbn=978-0-8108-5560-1|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/34254398/Docherty-Historical-Dictionary-of-Socialism|first1=Peter|last1=Lamb|edition=Second|first2=James C.|last2=Docherty|access-date=12 September 2017|archive-date=23 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223115609/http://www.scribd.com/doc/34254398/Docherty-Historical-Dictionary-of-Socialism|url-status=dead |page=270 }}</ref>
| affiliation1_title = African affiliation
| affiliation1 = {{hlist|[[Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa|FLMSA]]|[[Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies|CONCP]]}}
| colours = {{colorbox|{{Party color|MPLA}}|border=silver}} [[Red]]
| anthem =
| seats1_title = [[National Assembly (Angola)|National Assembly]]
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|124|220|hex={{party colour|MPLA}}}}
| seats2_title = [[SADC Parliamentary Forum|SADC PF]]
| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|5|hex={{party colour|MPLA}}}}
| seats3_title = [[Pan-African Parliament]]
| seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|5|hex={{party colour|MPLA}}}}
| symbol = [[File:MPLA logo.png|100px]]
| flag = File:Flag of MPLA.svg
| flag_title = Party flag
| slogan = {{plainlist|
*{{*}} "Peace, Work and Liberty"
*{{*}} "MPLA e os Novos Desafios"<ref>{{cite news |date=15 June 2019 |title= Comité central do MPLA alargado para 497 membros |trans-title=MPLA central committee enlarged to 497 members |url=https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/economia/mundo/africa/detalhe/comite-central-do-mpla-alargado-para-497-membros |language=Portuguese |work=[[Jornal de Angola]] |publisher= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616142042/https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/economia/mundo/africa/detalhe/comite-central-do-mpla-alargado-para-497-membros |archive-date=16 June 2019 |quote=O conclave, o primeiro convocado pelo presidente do partido e chefe de Estado, João Lourenço, decorreu sob o lema "MPLA e os Novos Desafios" |trans-quote=The conclave, the first called by the party's president and head of state, João Lourenço, took place under the slogan "MPLA and the New Challenges". }}</ref>
}}
| website = {{Official URL}}
| country = Angola
}}
The '''People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola''' ({{langx|pt|Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola}}, [[Abbreviation|abbr.]] '''MPLA'''), from 1977–1990 called the '''People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party''' ({{Langx|pt|Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola – Partido do Trabalho|link=no}}), is an Angolan [[social democratic]] [[political party]]. The MPLA fought against the [[Portuguese Army]] in the [[Angolan War of Independence]] from 1961 to 1974, and defeated the [[UNITA|National Union for the Total Independence of Angola]] (UNITA) and the [[National Liberation Front of Angola]] (FNLA) in the [[Angolan Civil War]]. The party has ruled Angola since the country's independence from [[Portugal]] in 1975, being the ''de facto'' government throughout the civil war and continuing to rule afterwards.


==Formation==
==Formation==
On December 1, 1958, in [[Portuguese Angola]] (during the [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]] regime) the tiny underground [[Angolan Communist Party]] (PCA) merged with the [[Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola]] (PLUA) to form the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, with [[Viriato da Cruz]], the President of the PCA, as Secretary General.<ref name="commparty">{{cite book|last=|first=|year=1977|title=Africa Year Book and Who's who|pages=238}}</ref><ref name="merger">{{cite book|last=Tvedten|first=Inge|year=1997|title=Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction|pages=29}}</ref> Later other groups merged into MPLA, such as [[Movement for the National Independence of Angola]] (MINA) and the [[Democratic Front for the Liberation of Angola]] (FDLA).<ref>John Marcum, ''The Angolan Revolution'', vol. I, ''The Anatomy of an Explosion (1950-1962)'', Cambridge/Mass. & London, MIT Pres, 1969</ref>
On 10 December 1956, in [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]]-ruled [[Portuguese Angola]], the underground [[Angolan Communist Party]] (PCA) merged with the [[Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola]] (PLUAA) to form the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, with [[Viriato da Cruz]], the president of the PCA, as secretary general.<ref name="commparty">{{cite book|year=1977|title=Africa Year Book and Who's who|pages=238}}</ref><ref name="merger">{{cite book|last=Tvedten|first=Inge|year=1997|title=Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction|url=https://archive.org/details/angolastrugglefo00tved|url-access=registration|pages=[https://archive.org/details/angolastrugglefo00tved/page/29 29]}}</ref> Other groups later merged into MPLA, such as the [[Movement for the National Independence of Angola]] (MINA) and the [[Democratic Front for the Liberation of Angola]] (FDLA).<ref>John Marcum, ''The Angolan Revolution'', vol. I, ''The Anatomy of an Explosion (1950–1962)'', Cambridge/Mass. & London, MIT Press, 1969.</ref>


The MPLA's core base includes the [[Mbundu]] ethnic group and the educated [[intelligentsia]] of the capital city, [[Luanda]]. The party formerly had links to [[Europe]]an and [[Soviet]] [[Communist]] parties but is now a full-member of the [[Socialist International]] grouping of [[social democratic]] parties. The armed wing of MPLA was the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola ([[FAPLA]]). The FAPLA later became the national armed forces of the country.
The MPLA's core base includes the [[Ambundu]] ethnic group and the educated [[intelligentsia]] of the capital city, [[Luanda]]. The party formerly had links to European and Soviet [[communist parties]], but today is a full-member of the [[Socialist International]] grouping of [[social democratic]] parties. The armed wing of MPLA was the [[People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola]] (FAPLA). The FAPLA later (1975–1991) became the national armed forces of the country when the MPLA took control of the government.


In 1960, the MPLA joined the [[PAIGC]], its [[fraternal party]] in [[Guinea-Bissau]] and [[Cabo Verde]], in direct combat against the [[Portuguese empire]] in [[Africa]]. The following year, the expanded umbrella group [[CONCP]] replaced FRAIN, adding fellow [[Marxist-Leninists]] [[FRELIMO]] of [[Mozambique]] and the CLSTP, forerunner of the [[MLSTP]] of [[São Tomé and Príncipe]].
In 1961, the MPLA joined the [[African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde]] (PAIGC), its [[fraternal party]] in [[Guinea-Bissau]] and [[Cabo Verde]], in direct combat against the [[Portuguese empire]] in Africa. The following year, the expanded umbrella group [[Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies]] (CONCP) replaced FRAIN, adding [[FRELIMO]] of [[Mozambique]] and the CLSTP, forerunner of the [[Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe]] (MLSTP).

In the early 1970s, the MPLA's guerrilla activities were reduced, due to the fierce counter-insurgency campaigns of the [[Portuguese military]]. At the same time, internal conflicts caused the movement to temporarily split into three factions (Ala Presidencialista or Presidentialist Wing, Revolta Activa or Active Revolt, and Revolta do Leste or Eastern Revolt). By 1974/75, this situation had been overcome with renewed cooperation, but it scarred the party.<ref>Benjamin Almeida (2011). ''Angola: O Conflito na Frente Leste''. Lisbon: Âncora. {{ISBN|978 972 780 3156}}.</ref>


==Independence and civil war==
==Independence and civil war==
The [[Carnation Revolution]] in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]] in 1974 established a military government that promptly ceased anti-independence fighting in Angola and agreed to hand over power to a coalition of three pro-independence Angolan movements. The coalition quickly broke down and the newly independent Angola broke into a state of [[Angolan Civil War|civil war]]. Maintaining control over Luanda and the lucrative oil fields of the Atlantic coastline, [[Agostinho Neto]], the leader of the MPLA, declared the independence of the Portuguese [[Overseas Province of Angola]] as the People's Republic of Angola on November 11, 1975, in accordance with the [[Alvor Accords]].<ref name=beginning>{{cite book|last=Rothchild|first=Donald S.|year=1997|title=Managing Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Pressures and Incentives for Cooperation|pages=115–116 |isbn=0-8157-7593-8|publisher=Brookings Institution Press}}</ref> UNITA declared Angolan independence as the Social Democratic Republic of Angola based in [[Huambo]] and the FNLA declared the Democratic Republic of Angola based in [[Ambriz]]. These differences reiginited civil war between [[UNITA]] and the MPLA.
The [[Carnation Revolution]] in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]] in 1974 established a military government. It promptly ceased anti-independence fighting in Angola and agreed to transfer power to a coalition of three pro-independence Angolan movements.
[[Image:Mpla.jpg|thumb|left|MPLA poster. The slogan translates as "Victory is certain".]]
Poet and freedom fighter [[Agostinho Neto]] became the first president upon independence, and he was succeeded by [[José Eduardo dos Santos]] in 1979.


The coalition quickly broke down and the newly independent Angola broke into a state of [[Angolan Civil War|civil war]]. Maintaining control over Luanda and the lucrative oil fields of the Atlantic coastline, [[Agostinho Neto]], the leader of the MPLA, declared the independence of the Portuguese [[Overseas Province of Angola]] as the [[People's Republic of Angola]] on 11 November 1975, in accordance with the [[Alvor Accords]].<ref name=beginning>{{cite book|last=Rothchild|first=Donald S.|year=1997|title=Managing Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Pressures and Incentives for Cooperation|pages=115–116 |isbn=0-8157-7593-8|publisher=Brookings Institution Press}}</ref>
[[South Africa]] intervened militarily in favor of FNLA and UNITA, and [[Zaire]] and the [[United States]] also heavily aided the two groups. [[Cuba]] deployed thousands of troops in 1975 to aid the MPLA against South African intervention, with the [[Soviet Union]] aiding both Cuba and the MPLA government during the war. In November 1980, the MPLA had all but pushed UNITA into the bush, and the South African forces withdrew. The [[United States Congress]] barred further U.S. military involvement in the country, fearing another [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]]-style quagmire.


UNITA and FNLA together declared Angolan independence in [[Huambo]]. These differences reignited civil war between UNITA & FNLA and the MPLA, with the latter winning the upper hand. Agostinho Neto became the first president upon independence. He was succeeded after his death in 1979 by [[José Eduardo dos Santos]].
At its first congress, in 1977, the MPLA adopted [[Marxism-Leninism]] as the party ideology and added ''Partido do Trabalho'' (Labour Party) to its name.<ref name="Santos">{{Citation |first=Hélia |last=Santos |title=MPLA (Angola) |work=A Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures - Continental Europe and its Empires |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2008 |page=480 |url=http://books.google.fr/books?id=Ghah5S3usnsC&pg=PA480&lpg=PA480&dq=mpla+angola+social+democratic&source=bl&ots=hxfntx9_9y&sig=UJ_BPW5nx_wwFF7QrYxZtN1Q8uE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aYwqT9TKL42YOpHK4ZcO&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=mpla%20angola%20social%20democratic&f=false}}</ref>


[[File:Mpla.jpg|thumb|left|MPLA poster. The slogan translates as "Victory is certain".]]
After [[Nito Alves]]'s attempted ''coup'' in 1977, [[Agostinho Neto]] ordered the killing of suspected followers and sympathisers of "orthodox communism" inside and outside the party. Thousands of people were estimated to have been killed by Cuban and MPLA troops in the aftermath over a period that lasted up to two years, with some estimates claiming as high as 70,000 dead.<ref>Sulc, Lawrence. "Communists coming clean about their past atrocities." HUMAN EVENTS, (October 13, 1990): 12.</ref><ref>Ramaer, J. C. SOVIET COMMUNISM: THE ESSENTIALS. Second Edition. Translated by G. E. Luton. Stichting Vrijheid, Vrede, Verdediging (Belgium), 1986. </ref><ref>Georges A. Fauriol and Eva Loser. Cuba: The International Dimension, 1990. Page 164.</ref><ref name="soviet">Domínguez, Jorge I. ''To Make a World Safe for Revolution: Cuba's Foreign Policy'', 1989. Page 158.</ref> After the violent internal conflict called [[Fractionism]], it made it clear that it would follow the socialist, not the communist model. However, it maintained close ties with the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc, establishing [[socialist]] economic policies and a [[one-party state]]. Several thousand Cuban troops remained in the country to combat UNITA insurgents and bolster the regime's security.


In 1974–1976, [[South Africa]] and [[Zaire]] intervened militarily in favor of FNLA and UNITA. The [[United States]] strongly aided the two groups. [[Cuba]] in turn intervened in 1975 to aid the MPLA against South African intervention, and the [[Soviet Union]] aided both Cuba and the MPLA government during the war.
In 1990, when the cold war ended, MPLA abandoned its Marxist-Leninist ideology and on its third congress, in December, the party declared [[social democracy]] to be its official ideology.<ref name="Santos"/>


In November 1980, the MPLA had all but pushed UNITA into the bush, and the South African forces withdrew. {{citation needed|date=August 2023}} The [[United States Congress]] barred further U.S. military involvement in the country, against the wishes of President [[Ronald Reagan]], as the representatives feared getting into a situation similar to the [[Vietnam War]]. In 1976 the FNLA withdrew its troops to their bases in [[Zaire]]. Part of them joined the [[32 Battalion (South Africa)|32 Battalion]], formed by South Africa in order to receive anti-MPLA Angolans.
UNITA resumed war against the MPLA government resumed after they rejected the 1992 election results. The war continued until 2002, when UNITA leader [[Jonas Savimbi]] was killed. The two parties promptly agreed to a ceasefire, and a plan was laid out for UNITA to demobilize and become a political party. Over 500,000 civilians were killed during the civil war.<ref name=angolagate>{{cite web|author=Madsen, Wayne|date=2002-05-17|url=http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2576|title=Report Alleges US Role in Angola Arms-for-Oil Scandal|publisher=CorpWatch|accessdate=2008-02-10| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080105182138/http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2576| archivedate= 5 January 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> [[Rudolph Rummel]], an analyst of political killings, estimated that between 100,000 and 200,000 Angolans died in the MPLA's [[democide]] between 1975 and 1987.<ref>[http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.TAB1.GIF Power Kills]. Hawaii.edu.</ref>


At its first congress in 1977, the MPLA adopted [[Marxism–Leninism]] as the party ideology. It added ''Partido do Trabalho'' (Labour Party) to its name.<ref name=poddar/>
==Electoral history==

In the 1992 elections, MPLA-PT won 53.74% of the votes and 129 out of 227 seats in parliament; however, eight opposition parties rejected the 1992 elections as [[rigged election|rigged]].<ref name=Multiple1992>National Society for Human Rights, ''Ending the Angolan Conflict'', Windhoek, Namibia, July 3, 2000 (opposition parties, massacres); John Matthew, Letters, ''The Times'', UK, November 6, 1992 (election observer); NSHR, Press Releases, September 12, 2000, May 16, 2001 (MPLA atrocities).</ref> In the [[Angolan parliamentary election, 2008|next election]], delayed until 2008 due to the civil war, the MPLA won 81.64% of the vote and 191 out of 220 parliamentary seats.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/17/content_10053620.htm "Angolan ruling party gains about 82% of votes in legislative race"], Xinhua, September 17, 2008.</ref>During the election the [[Halloween Massacre (Angola)|Halloween Massacre]] occurued, where tens of thousands of [[UNITA]] and [[National Liberation Front of Angola|FNLA]] sympathizers were killed nationwide by MPLA forces in a few days.<ref name=Multiple1992>National Society for Human Rights, ''Ending the Angolan Conflict'', Windhoek, Namibia, July 3, 2000 (opposition parties, massacres); John Matthew, Letters, ''The Times'', UK, November 6, 1992 (election observer); NSHR, Press Releases, September 12, 2000, May 16, 2001 (MPLA atrocities).</ref>
After [[Nito Alves]]'s attempted ''coup'' in 1977, Neto ordered the killing of suspected followers and sympathisers of "orthodox communism" inside and outside the party. During the coup, Cuban forces stationed in Angola sided with the MPLA leadership against the coup organizers.<ref>Georges A. Fauriol and Eva Loser. ''Cuba: The International Dimension'', 1990, p. 164.</ref> Estimates for the number of Alves' followers killed by Cuban and MPLA troops in the aftermath range from 2,000 — 70,000 dead, with some placing the death toll at 18,000.<ref>Sulc, Lawrence. "Communists coming clean about their past atrocities", ''Human Events'' (13 October 1990): 12.</ref><ref>Ramaer, J. C. ''Soviet Communism: The Essentials''. Second Edition. Translated by G. E. Luton. Stichting Vrijheid, Vrede, Verdediging (Belgium), 1986.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8BlJAwAAQBAJ|title=In the Name of the People: Angola's Forgotten Massacre|last=Pawson|first=Lara|date=30 April 2014|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=9781780769059|language=en}}</ref>

After the violent internal conflict called [[Fractionism]], the MPLA declared that it would follow the socialist, not the communist, model. But it did maintain close ties with the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc, establishing [[Socialism|socialist]] economic policies and a [[one-party state]]{{citation needed| reason=no support for 70,000 gives besides "Human Events", which as reliable as Pravda.|date=June 2015}}. Several thousand Cuban troops remained in the country to combat UNITA fighters and bolster the regime's security.

When the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union fell, the MPLA abandoned its Marxist–Leninist ideology. On its third congress in December 1990, it declared [[social democracy]] to be its official ideology.<ref name=poddar/>

The MPLA emerged victorious in Angola's 1992 general election, but eight opposition parties rejected the election as rigged. UNITA sent negotiators to Luanda, where they were killed. As a consequence, hostilities erupted in the city, and immediately spread to other parts of the country. Tens of thousands of UNITA and FNLA sympathizers were subsequently killed nationwide by MPLA forces, in what is known as the [[Halloween Massacre (Angola)|Halloween Massacre]]. The civil war resumed.<ref name=Dictionary>[https://books.google.com/books?id=V_qm7zPo87oC&dq=Angola+Halloween+Massacre&pg=PA67 ''Historical Dictionary of Angola'' by W. Martin James, Susan Herlin Broadhead] on Google Books</ref><ref>National Society for Human Rights, ''Ending the Angolan Conflict,'' Windhoek, Namibia, 3 July 2000.</ref><ref>John Matthew, Letters, ''The Times'', UK, 6 November 1992 (election observer).</ref><ref>[http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/ang1992elect3.htm Angola: Resumption of the civil war] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902221909/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/ang1992elect3.htm |date=2 September 2010 }} EISA</ref>

The war continued until 2002, when UNITA leader [[Jonas Savimbi]] was killed. The two parties agreed to a ceasefire, and a plan was laid out for UNITA to demobilize and become a political party. More than 500,000 civilians were killed during the civil war.<ref name=angolagate>{{cite web|author=Madsen, Wayne |date=17 May 2002 |url=http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2576 |title=Report Alleges US Role in Angola Arms-for-Oil Scandal |publisher=CorpWatch |access-date=10 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105182138/http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2576 |archive-date=5 January 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Human rights observers have accused the MPLA of "genocidal atrocities," "systematic extermination," "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity during the civil war."<ref>National Society for Human Rights, Press Releases, 12 September 2000, 16 May 2001.</ref> Political scientist [[Rudolph Rummel]] estimated that the MPLA were responsible for between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in [[democide]] from 1975 to 1987.<ref>[http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.TAB1.GIF "Power Kills"], Hawaii.edu</ref>


==Human rights record==
==Human rights record==
The MPLA government of Angola has been accused of [[human rights]] violations such as [[arbitrary arrest and detention]] and torture<ref name="zerr">{{cite news|author=|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7018226.stm|title=UN reports Angola 'torture' abuse|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2007-09-28 | date=2007-09-28}}</ref> by international organisations, including [[Amnesty International]]<ref>[http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/africa/angola Angola]. Amnesty USA.</ref> and [[Human Rights Watch]].<ref>[http://www.hrw.org/angola Angola]. Human Rights Watch.</ref> In response, to improve Angolas image, the MPLA hired Samuels International Associates Inc to help improve Angola's global image.<ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/how-a-us-agency-cleaned-up-rwandas-genocide-stained-image/article2322005/page2/ How a U.S. agency cleaned up Rwanda's genocide-stained image] The Globe and Mail</ref>
The MPLA government of Angola has been accused of [[human rights]] violations such as [[arbitrary arrest and detention]] and torture<ref name="zerr">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7018226.stm|title=UN reports Angola 'torture' abuse|publisher=BBC News|access-date=28 September 2007 | date=28 September 2007}}</ref> by international organisations, including [[Amnesty International]]<ref>[http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/africa/angola Angola]. Amnesty USA.</ref> and [[Human Rights Watch]].<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/angola Angola]. Human Rights Watch.</ref> The MPLA government hired Samuels International Associates Inc in 2008 to help improve Angola's global image and "'facilitate' its meetings with senior U.S. officials".<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/how-a-us-agency-cleaned-up-rwandas-genocide-stained-image/article542612/ "How a U.S. agency cleaned up Rwanda's genocide-stained image"], ''The Globe and Mail''.</ref>


==Party organizations==
==Party organizations==
At present, major mass organizations of the MPLA-PT include the ''Organização da Mulher Angolana'' (Angolan Women's Organization), ''União Nacional dos Trabalhadores Angolanos'' (National Union of Angolan Workers), ''Organização dos Pioneiros de Agostinho Neto'' (Organization of Pioneers of Agostinho Neto), and the ''Juventude do MPLA'' ([[Youth of MPLA]]).
At present, major mass organizations of the MPLA-PT include the [[Angolan Women's Organization]] (''Organização da Mulher Angolana'' or O.M.A.), [[National Union of Angolan Workers]] (''União Nacional dos Trabalhadores Angolanos'' or U.N.T.A.), [[Agostinho Neto Pioneer Organization]] (''Organização de Pioneiros de Agostinho Neto'' or O.P.A.), and the [[Youth of MPLA]] (''Juventude do MPLA'' or J.M.P.L.A.).


==Foreign support==
==Foreign support==
During both the [[Portuguese Colonial War]] and the [[Angolan Civil War]], the MPLA received military and humanitarian support primarily from the governments of [[Algeria]], [[Bulgaria]], [[East Germany]],<ref name="bulgaria">{{cite book|last=Howe|first=Herbert M|year=2004|title=Ambiguous Order: Military Forces In African States|pages=81}}</ref> [[Cape Verde Islands]], [[Czechoslovakia]],<ref name="czech">{{cite book|last=Wright|first=George|year=1997|title=The Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Towards Angola Since 1945|pages=9–10}}</ref> [[Republic of the Congo|the Congo]], [[Cuba]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Morocco]], [[Mozambique]], [[Nigeria]], [[North Korea]], the [[People's Republic of China]], [[Romania]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]], [[Somalia]],<ref name="romania">{{cite book|last=Nzongola-Ntalaja|first=Georges|coauthors=Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein|year=1986|title=The Crisis in Zaire|pages=193–194}}</ref> the [[Soviet Union]], [[Sudan]],<ref name="czech"/> [[Tanzania]], [[Vietnam]], and [[Yugoslavia]]. While China did briefly support the MPLA,<ref name="china">{{cite book|last=China Study Centre (India)|first=|year=1964|title=China Report|pages=25}}</ref> it actively supported the MPLA's enemies, the [[FNLA]] and later [[UNITA]], during the war for independence and the civil war. The switch was the result of [[Sino-Soviet split|tensions between China and the Soviet Union]] for dominance of the communist bloc, which almost led to war.<ref name="foreign">{{cite book|last=Walker|first=John Frederick|year=2004|title=A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the Giant Sable Antelope of Angola|pages=146}}</ref><ref name="otherforeign">{{cite book|last=Nzongola-Ntalaja|first=Georges|coauthors=Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein|year=1986|title=The Crisis in Zaire|pages=194}}</ref>
During both the [[Portuguese Colonial War]] and the [[Angolan Civil War]], the MPLA received military and humanitarian support primarily from the governments of [[Algeria]], [[Brazil]],<ref name="Brazilian pilots">{{Cite web|url=https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/unita/en0510991.htm|title=KWACHA UNITA PRESS THE NATIONAL UNION FOR THE TOTAL INDEPENDENCE OF ANGOLA UNITA STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE POLITICAL COMMISSION 1999 – Year of Generalised Popular Resistance – COMMUNIQUE NO. 39/CPP/99|website=Federation of American Scientists|access-date=3 December 2022|archive-date=5 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805192503/https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/unita/en0510991.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Bulgarian People's Republic]], [[East Germany]],<ref name="bulgaria">{{cite book|last=Howe|first=Herbert M|year=2004|title=Ambiguous Order: Military Forces In African States|pages=81}}</ref> [[Cape Verde]], [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]],<ref name="czech">{{cite book|last=Wright|first=George|year=1997|title=The Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Towards Angola Since 1945|pages=9–10}}</ref> [[People's Republic of the Congo|the Congo]], [[Cuba]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Mexico]], [[Morocco]], the [[Mozambican People's Republic]], [[Nigeria]], [[North Korea]], the [[Polish People's Republic]], [[China]], the [[Romanian Socialist Republic]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]], [[Somalia]],<ref name="romania">{{cite book|last=Nzongola-Ntalaja|first=Georges|author2=Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein|year=1986|title=The Crisis in Zaire|pages=193–194}}</ref> the [[Soviet Union]], [[Sudan]],<ref name="czech"/> [[Tanzania]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mongabay.com/history/angola/angola-ascendancy_of_the_mpla.html|title=Angola-Ascendancy of the MPLA|website=www.mongabay.com|access-date=6 July 2017}}</ref> [[History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi|Libya]]<ref>{{Citation |first=Mahmoud |last=Gebril |title=Imagery and Ideology in U.S. Policy Toward Libya 1969–1982 |year=1988 |page=70}}</ref> and [[SFR Yugoslavia]]. While China did briefly support the MPLA,<ref name="china">{{cite book|last=China Study Centre (India)|year=1964|title=China Report|pages=25}}</ref> it also actively supported the MPLA's enemies, the FNLA and later UNITA, during the war for independence and the civil war. The switch was the result of [[Sino-Soviet split|tensions between China and the Soviet Union]] for dominance of the communist bloc, which almost led to war.<ref name="foreign">{{cite book|last=Walker|first=John Frederick|year=2004|title=A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the Giant Sable Antelope of Angola|pages=146}}</ref><ref name="otherforeign">{{cite book|last=Nzongola-Ntalaja|first=Georges|author2=Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein|year=1986|title=The Crisis in Zaire|pages=194}}</ref>


== Electoral history ==
==See also==
In the [[1992 Angolan presidential election|1992 election]], MPLA-PT won 53.74% of the votes and 129 out of 227 seats in parliament; however, eight opposition parties rejected the 1992 elections as [[rigged election|rigged]].<ref name="Multiple1992">National Society for Human Rights, ''Ending the Angolan Conflict'', Windhoek, Namibia, 3 July 2000</ref> In the [[2008 Angolan parliamentary election|next election]], delayed until 2008 due to the civil war, the MPLA won 81.64% of the vote and 191 out of 220 parliamentary seats.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121021162648/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/17/content_10053620.htm "Angolan ruling party gains about 82% of votes in legislative race"]. [[Xinhua]]. 17 September 2008.</ref> In the [[2012 Angolan legislative election|2012 legislative election]], the party won 71.84% of the vote and 175 of 220 parliamentary seats.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120903232012/http://www.eleicoes2012.cne.ao/paginas/paginas/dat99/DLG999999.htm "Eleicoes Gerais 2012: Resultados"]. Comissao Nacional Eleitoral Angola. Retrieved 29 November 2012.</ref>
*[[History of Angola]]
*[[Cuba in Angola]]
*[[African independence movements]]
*[[List of current Angolan ministers]] (All MPLA)
*[[Mário Pinto de Andrade]]
*''[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]'' (song by the [[Sex Pistols]] which mentions the MPLA)


In the 2022 [[2022 Angolan general election|general election]], MPLA won 124 parliamentary seats and about 51% of the vote. The largest opposition party, UNITA, secured 44% of the vote and 90 parliamentary seats. The tight race was the MPLA's worst showing at the polls in 30 years. However, nearly all opposition parties considered the result to be a fake.<ref>{{cite news |title=Angola after the election: No rest for the opposition – DW – 09/16/2022 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/angola-after-the-election-no-rest-for-the-opposition-nor-the-president/a-63154361 |work=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Literature==

* Inge Brinkmann, ''War, Witches and Traitors: Cases from the MPLA's Eastern Front in Angola (1966-1975)'', ''Journal of African History'', 44, 2003, pp.&nbsp;303–325
=== Presidential elections ===
* Mario Albano, ''Angola:una rivoluzione in marcia'', Jaca Book, Milano 1972
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Election
!Party candidate
!Votes
!%
!Result
|-
|[[1992 Angolan general election|1992]]
| rowspan="2" |[[José Eduardo dos Santos]]
|1,953,335
|49.57%
|'''Elected''' {{Y}}
|-
|[[2012 Angolan general election|2012]]
|4,135,503
|71.85%
|'''Elected''' {{Y}}
|-
|[[2017 Angolan legislative election|2017]]
| rowspan="2" |[[João Lourenço]]
|4,907,057
|61.08%
|'''Elected''' {{Y}}
|-
|[[2022 Angolan legislative election|2022]]
|3,209,429
|51.17%
|'''Elected''' {{Y}}
|}

=== National Assembly elections ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Election
! Party leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Position
! Result
|-
|[[1980 Angolan legislative election|1980]]
| rowspan="5" |[[José Eduardo dos Santos]]
| colspan="2" |''Indirect election''
|{{Composition bar|229|229|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|New
|{{increase}} 1st
|{{yes|Sole legal party}}
|-
|[[1986 Angolan legislative election|1986]]
| colspan="2" |''Indirect election''
|{{Composition bar|173|290|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{decrease}} 56
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes|Sole legal party}}
|-
|[[1992 Angolan general election|1992]]
|2,124,126
|53.74%
|{{Composition bar|129|220|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{decrease}} 44
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Majority government}}
|-
|[[2008 Angolan legislative election|2008]]
|5,266,216
|81.64%
|{{Composition bar|191|220|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{increase}} 62
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Supermajority government}}
|-
|[[2012 Angolan legislative election|2012]]
|4,135,503
|71.85%
|{{Composition bar|175|220|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{decrease}} 16
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Supermajority government}}
|-
|[[2017 Angolan legislative election|2017]]
| rowspan="2" |[[João Lourenço]]
|4,907,057
|61.08%
|{{Composition bar|150|220|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{decrease}} 25
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Supermajority government}}
|-
|[[2022 Angolan general election|2022]]
|3,209,429
|51.17%
|{{Composition bar|124|220|hex={{party color|MPLA}}}}
|{{decrease}} 26
|{{steady}} 1st
|{{yes2|Majority government}}
|}

== In popular culture ==
* In 1976, reggae singer [[Tapper Zukie]] dedicated the song and album titled "M.P.L.A" to the movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/05/tappa-zukie-feature|title=Man Ah Warrior: The Tappa Zukie Story|date=4 May 2015|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
* [[Pablo Moses]] dedicated the song "We Should be in Angola" (which appeared on his album ''Revolutionary Dream'') to the MPLA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Pablo-Moses-Revolutionary-Dream/master/204011|title=Pablo Moses – Revolutionary Dream|access-date=5 July 2021|website=Discogs|year=1975 }}</ref>
* [[The Sex Pistols]] singer [[John Lydon]] referred to the MPLA in the lyrics of "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genius.com/Sex-pistols-anarchy-in-the-uk-lyrics|title=Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK lyrics|access-date=5 July 2021|website=Genius}}</ref>
* The reggae band [[The Revolutionaries]] devoted an extended [[Dub music|dub]] mix record to the movement entitled "MPLA", recorded at [[Channel One Studios|Channel One]], engineered by [[King Tubby]] and released on the "Well Charge" label. The bass line and rhythm was based on "Freedom Blues" by [[Little Richard]]. The Revolutionaries also released an extended [[discomix]] entitled "Angola". Both tracks were later released on the ''Revolutionary Sounds'' album featuring [[Sly and Robbie]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Revolutionaries-Revolutionary-Sounds/release/1158893|title=Revolutionaries – Revolutionary Sounds|access-date=5 July 2021|website=Discogs|year=1976 }}</ref>
* The video game ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops II|Call of Duty: Black Ops 2]]'' features a level in which the player fought alongside the UNITA and Jonas Savimbi against the MPLA.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/14/call-of-duty-publisher-sued-by-family-of-angolan-rebel|title=Call of Duty publisher sued by family of Angolan rebel|newspaper=The Guardian |date=14 January 2016|via=www.theguardian.com|last1=Stuart |first1=Keith }}</ref>
* The video game ''[[Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain]]'' sets Missions 13-29 within the environs of the [[Angola]]-[[Zaire]] border region. Several references to the MPLA, CFA, and UNITA are made--with the in-universe mercenary group Diamond Dogs (led by [[player character]] [[Venom Snake]]) clashing with or aiding them in different missions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission 13 Pitch Dark |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain/Mission_13_Pitch_Dark |website=Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Wiki Guide |date=September 2015 |publisher=IGN |access-date=30 January 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[African independence movements]]
* [[Cuban intervention in Angola]]
* [[History of Angola]]
* [[List of current Angolan ministers]] (all MPLA members)
* [[Mário Pinto de Andrade]]
* [[Luzia Inglês Van-Dúnem]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* David Birmingham, ''A Short History of Modern Angola'', Hurst 2015.
* Inge Brinkmann, ''War, Witches and Traitors: Cases from the MPLA's Eastern Front in Angola (1966–1975)'', ''Journal of African History'', 44, 2003, pp.&nbsp;303–325
* Mario Albano, ''Angola: una rivoluzione in marcia'', Jaca Book, Milano, 1972
* Lúcio Lara, ''Um amplo movimento: Itinerário do MPLA através de documentos e anotações'', vol. I, ''Até Fevereiro de 1961'', 2ª ed., Luanda: Lúcio & Ruth Lara, 1998, vol. II, ''1961–1962'', Luanda: Lúcio Lara, 2006, vol. III, ''1963–1964'', Luanda: Lúcio Lara, 2008


==External links==
==External links==
*{{pt}} [http://www.mpla-angola.org/ MPLA official site]
*{{Official website|https://www.mpla.ao/}} {{In lang|pt}}
*[http://www.mpla10.org/ MPLA campaign site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120831220428/http://www.mpla2012.ao/ MPLA campaign site]
{{MPLA}}

{{Angolan political parties}}
{{Angolan political parties}}
{{Former Liberation Movements}}

{{Eastern Bloc parties}}
[[Category:20th century in Angola]]
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[[Category:Collaborators with the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Labour parties]]
[[Category:Communist parties in Angola]]
[[Category:Military history of Angola]]
[[Category:Consultative member parties of the Socialist International]]
[[Category:Democratic socialist parties]]
[[Category:Formerly ruling communist parties]]
[[Category:Left-wing nationalist parties]]
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[[Category:National liberation movements]]
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[[Category:Separatism in Angola]]
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[[Category:Social democratic parties in Angola]]
[[Category:Social democratic parties]]
[[Category:Socialist International]]
[[Category:MPLA| ]]

[[af:MPLA]]
[[ar:الحركة الشعبية لتحرير أنغولا - حزب العمل]]
[[ast:Movimientu Popular de Lliberación d'Angola]]
[[bn:অ্যাঙ্গোলার গণমুক্তিআন্দোলন - শ্রম পার্টি]]
[[br:MPLA]]
[[ca:Moviment Popular per a l'Alliberament d'Angola]]
[[cs:MPLA]]
[[da:MPLA]]
[[de:Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola]]
[[es:Movimiento Popular de Liberación de Angola]]
[[eo:MPLA]]
[[fa:جنبش خلق برای آزادی آنگولا-حزب کار]]
[[fr:Mouvement populaire de libération de l'Angola]]
[[gl:MPLA]]
[[hi:अंगोला मुक्ति जनता अंदोलन - श्रम दल]]
[[id:Gerakan Rakyat untuk Pembebasan Angola]]
[[it:Movimento Popolare di Liberazione dell'Angola]]
[[he:MPLA]]
[[ka:მპლა]]
[[lt:Angolos liaudies judėjimas už išsivadavimą]]
[[hu:MPLA]]
[[nl:Volksbeweging voor de Bevrijding van Angola]]
[[ne:एंगोला जनमुक्ति आंदोलन - श्रम दल]]
[[ja:アンゴラ解放人民運動]]
[[no:MPLA]]
[[pms:MPLA]]
[[pl:Ludowy Ruch Wyzwolenia Angoli - Partia Pracy]]
[[pt:Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola]]
[[ro:Mișcarea Populară de Eliberare a Angolei - Partidul Muncii]]
[[ru:Народное движение за освобождение Анголы — Партия труда]]
[[sr:Народни покрет за ослобођење Анголе]]
[[fi:MPLA]]
[[sv:MPLA]]
[[tl:MPLA]]
[[ta:அங்கோலா மக்கள் விடுதலை இயக்கம்]]
[[tr:Angola'nın Bağımsızlığı İçin Halk Hareketi]]
[[uk:Народний рух за звільнення Анголи]]
[[ur:مقبول تحریک براۓ آزادی انگولا]]
[[zh:安哥拉人民解放运动]]

Latest revision as of 22:22, 9 January 2025

People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola
Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola
AbbreviationMPLA
ChairmanJoão Lourenço
Secretary-GeneralPaulo Pombolo
FoundersAgostinho Neto
Viriato da Cruz
Founded10 December 1956; 68 years ago (1956-12-10)
Merger ofPLUAA
PCA
HeadquartersLuanda, Luanda Province
NewspaperJornal de Angola
Youth wingYouth of MPLA
Women's wingOrganization of Angolan Women
Paramilitary wingPeople's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (1956–1993)
Membership (2022)3,000,000[1]
Ideology
Political position
International affiliationSocialist International (since 2006)[19]
African affiliation
Colours  Red
Slogan
  •  • "Peace, Work and Liberty"
  •  • "MPLA e os Novos Desafios"[20]
National Assembly
124 / 220
SADC PF
0 / 5
Pan-African Parliament
0 / 5
Election symbol
Party flag
Party flag
Website
mpla.ao Edit this at Wikidata

The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, abbr. MPLA), from 1977–1990 called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola – Partido do Trabalho), is an Angolan social democratic political party. The MPLA fought against the Portuguese Army in the Angolan War of Independence from 1961 to 1974, and defeated the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) in the Angolan Civil War. The party has ruled Angola since the country's independence from Portugal in 1975, being the de facto government throughout the civil war and continuing to rule afterwards.

Formation

[edit]

On 10 December 1956, in Estado Novo-ruled Portuguese Angola, the underground Angolan Communist Party (PCA) merged with the Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola (PLUAA) to form the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, with Viriato da Cruz, the president of the PCA, as secretary general.[21][22] Other groups later merged into MPLA, such as the Movement for the National Independence of Angola (MINA) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Angola (FDLA).[23]

The MPLA's core base includes the Ambundu ethnic group and the educated intelligentsia of the capital city, Luanda. The party formerly had links to European and Soviet communist parties, but today is a full-member of the Socialist International grouping of social democratic parties. The armed wing of MPLA was the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA). The FAPLA later (1975–1991) became the national armed forces of the country when the MPLA took control of the government.

In 1961, the MPLA joined the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), its fraternal party in Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde, in direct combat against the Portuguese empire in Africa. The following year, the expanded umbrella group Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies (CONCP) replaced FRAIN, adding FRELIMO of Mozambique and the CLSTP, forerunner of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP).

In the early 1970s, the MPLA's guerrilla activities were reduced, due to the fierce counter-insurgency campaigns of the Portuguese military. At the same time, internal conflicts caused the movement to temporarily split into three factions (Ala Presidencialista or Presidentialist Wing, Revolta Activa or Active Revolt, and Revolta do Leste or Eastern Revolt). By 1974/75, this situation had been overcome with renewed cooperation, but it scarred the party.[24]

Independence and civil war

[edit]

The Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, Portugal in 1974 established a military government. It promptly ceased anti-independence fighting in Angola and agreed to transfer power to a coalition of three pro-independence Angolan movements.

The coalition quickly broke down and the newly independent Angola broke into a state of civil war. Maintaining control over Luanda and the lucrative oil fields of the Atlantic coastline, Agostinho Neto, the leader of the MPLA, declared the independence of the Portuguese Overseas Province of Angola as the People's Republic of Angola on 11 November 1975, in accordance with the Alvor Accords.[25]

UNITA and FNLA together declared Angolan independence in Huambo. These differences reignited civil war between UNITA & FNLA and the MPLA, with the latter winning the upper hand. Agostinho Neto became the first president upon independence. He was succeeded after his death in 1979 by José Eduardo dos Santos.

MPLA poster. The slogan translates as "Victory is certain".

In 1974–1976, South Africa and Zaire intervened militarily in favor of FNLA and UNITA. The United States strongly aided the two groups. Cuba in turn intervened in 1975 to aid the MPLA against South African intervention, and the Soviet Union aided both Cuba and the MPLA government during the war.

In November 1980, the MPLA had all but pushed UNITA into the bush, and the South African forces withdrew. [citation needed] The United States Congress barred further U.S. military involvement in the country, against the wishes of President Ronald Reagan, as the representatives feared getting into a situation similar to the Vietnam War. In 1976 the FNLA withdrew its troops to their bases in Zaire. Part of them joined the 32 Battalion, formed by South Africa in order to receive anti-MPLA Angolans.

At its first congress in 1977, the MPLA adopted Marxism–Leninism as the party ideology. It added Partido do Trabalho (Labour Party) to its name.[6]

After Nito Alves's attempted coup in 1977, Neto ordered the killing of suspected followers and sympathisers of "orthodox communism" inside and outside the party. During the coup, Cuban forces stationed in Angola sided with the MPLA leadership against the coup organizers.[26] Estimates for the number of Alves' followers killed by Cuban and MPLA troops in the aftermath range from 2,000 — 70,000 dead, with some placing the death toll at 18,000.[27][28][29]

After the violent internal conflict called Fractionism, the MPLA declared that it would follow the socialist, not the communist, model. But it did maintain close ties with the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc, establishing socialist economic policies and a one-party state[citation needed]. Several thousand Cuban troops remained in the country to combat UNITA fighters and bolster the regime's security.

When the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union fell, the MPLA abandoned its Marxist–Leninist ideology. On its third congress in December 1990, it declared social democracy to be its official ideology.[6]

The MPLA emerged victorious in Angola's 1992 general election, but eight opposition parties rejected the election as rigged. UNITA sent negotiators to Luanda, where they were killed. As a consequence, hostilities erupted in the city, and immediately spread to other parts of the country. Tens of thousands of UNITA and FNLA sympathizers were subsequently killed nationwide by MPLA forces, in what is known as the Halloween Massacre. The civil war resumed.[30][31][32][33]

The war continued until 2002, when UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi was killed. The two parties agreed to a ceasefire, and a plan was laid out for UNITA to demobilize and become a political party. More than 500,000 civilians were killed during the civil war.[34] Human rights observers have accused the MPLA of "genocidal atrocities," "systematic extermination," "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity during the civil war."[35] Political scientist Rudolph Rummel estimated that the MPLA were responsible for between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in democide from 1975 to 1987.[36]

Human rights record

[edit]

The MPLA government of Angola has been accused of human rights violations such as arbitrary arrest and detention and torture[37] by international organisations, including Amnesty International[38] and Human Rights Watch.[39] The MPLA government hired Samuels International Associates Inc in 2008 to help improve Angola's global image and "'facilitate' its meetings with senior U.S. officials".[40]

Party organizations

[edit]

At present, major mass organizations of the MPLA-PT include the Angolan Women's Organization (Organização da Mulher Angolana or O.M.A.), National Union of Angolan Workers (União Nacional dos Trabalhadores Angolanos or U.N.T.A.), Agostinho Neto Pioneer Organization (Organização de Pioneiros de Agostinho Neto or O.P.A.), and the Youth of MPLA (Juventude do MPLA or J.M.P.L.A.).

Foreign support

[edit]

During both the Portuguese Colonial War and the Angolan Civil War, the MPLA received military and humanitarian support primarily from the governments of Algeria, Brazil,[41] the Bulgarian People's Republic, East Germany,[42] Cape Verde, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic,[43] the Congo, Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, Morocco, the Mozambican People's Republic, Nigeria, North Korea, the Polish People's Republic, China, the Romanian Socialist Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia,[44] the Soviet Union, Sudan,[43] Tanzania,[45] Libya[46] and SFR Yugoslavia. While China did briefly support the MPLA,[47] it also actively supported the MPLA's enemies, the FNLA and later UNITA, during the war for independence and the civil war. The switch was the result of tensions between China and the Soviet Union for dominance of the communist bloc, which almost led to war.[48][49]

Electoral history

[edit]

In the 1992 election, MPLA-PT won 53.74% of the votes and 129 out of 227 seats in parliament; however, eight opposition parties rejected the 1992 elections as rigged.[50] In the next election, delayed until 2008 due to the civil war, the MPLA won 81.64% of the vote and 191 out of 220 parliamentary seats.[51] In the 2012 legislative election, the party won 71.84% of the vote and 175 of 220 parliamentary seats.[52]

In the 2022 general election, MPLA won 124 parliamentary seats and about 51% of the vote. The largest opposition party, UNITA, secured 44% of the vote and 90 parliamentary seats. The tight race was the MPLA's worst showing at the polls in 30 years. However, nearly all opposition parties considered the result to be a fake.[53]

Presidential elections

[edit]
Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1992 José Eduardo dos Santos 1,953,335 49.57% Elected Green tickY
2012 4,135,503 71.85% Elected Green tickY
2017 João Lourenço 4,907,057 61.08% Elected Green tickY
2022 3,209,429 51.17% Elected Green tickY

National Assembly elections

[edit]
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
1980 José Eduardo dos Santos Indirect election
229 / 229
New Increase 1st Sole legal party
1986 Indirect election
173 / 290
Decrease 56 Steady 1st Sole legal party
1992 2,124,126 53.74%
129 / 220
Decrease 44 Steady 1st Majority government
2008 5,266,216 81.64%
191 / 220
Increase 62 Steady 1st Supermajority government
2012 4,135,503 71.85%
175 / 220
Decrease 16 Steady 1st Supermajority government
2017 João Lourenço 4,907,057 61.08%
150 / 220
Decrease 25 Steady 1st Supermajority government
2022 3,209,429 51.17%
124 / 220
Decrease 26 Steady 1st Majority government
[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "MPLA: João Lourenço diz que teve a coragem de lutar contra a corrupção". Observador (in Portuguese). 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Andresen Guimarães, Fernando (2001). The Origins of the Angolan Civil War: Foreign Intervention and Domestic Political Conflict, 1961–76. Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1007/978-0-230-59826-3 (inactive 2 November 2024).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  3. ^ Péclard, Didier (31 August 2021). "Nationalism, Liberation, and Decolonization in Angola". Oxford Academic – African History. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.640. ISBN 978-0-19-027773-4.
  4. ^ [2][3]
  5. ^ a b C. Docherty, James; Lamb, Peter (2006). Historical Dictionary of Socialism. Scarecrow Press. p. 276.
  6. ^ a b c d Poddar, Prem; S. Patke, Rajeev; Jensen, Lars, eds. (2008). A Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures – Continental Europe and its Empires. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 480–481.
  7. ^ [5][6]
  8. ^ "Estatuto do MPLA". MPLA.ao. MPLA. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  9. ^ [5][8]
  10. ^ a b Szajkowski, Bogdan, ed. (1981). Marxist Governments: A World Survey. Macmillan Publishers. pp. 72–76. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-04329-3. ISBN 978-1-349-04331-6.
  11. ^ a b Hodges, Tony (2001). Angola: From Afro-Stalinism to Petro-Diamond Capitalism. Indiana University Press.
  12. ^ Ball, Jeremy (20 November 2017). "The History of Angola". Oxford Academic – African History. Oxford University Press: 20. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.180. ISBN 978-0-19-027773-4. The MPLA adopted Marxism in 1976, which strengthened its ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union.
  13. ^ [10][2][11][12]
  14. ^ [10][6][11]
  15. ^ Drew, Allison, ed. (1 May 2013). "16". The Oxford Handbook of the History of Communism. Oxford Academic. pp. 285–302. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199602056.013.003.
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  17. ^ Vanaik, Achin (13 December 2021). "Humanitarian Intervention Is a Cloak for Military Aggression". Jacobin. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022.
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  19. ^ Lamb, Peter; Docherty, James C. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Socialism (Second ed.). The Scarecrow Press. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-8108-5560-1. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Comité central do MPLA alargado para 497 membros" [MPLA central committee enlarged to 497 members]. Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese). 15 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. O conclave, o primeiro convocado pelo presidente do partido e chefe de Estado, João Lourenço, decorreu sob o lema "MPLA e os Novos Desafios" [The conclave, the first called by the party's president and head of state, João Lourenço, took place under the slogan "MPLA and the New Challenges".]
  21. ^ Africa Year Book and Who's who. 1977. p. 238.
  22. ^ Tvedten, Inge (1997). Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction. pp. 29.
  23. ^ John Marcum, The Angolan Revolution, vol. I, The Anatomy of an Explosion (1950–1962), Cambridge/Mass. & London, MIT Press, 1969.
  24. ^ Benjamin Almeida (2011). Angola: O Conflito na Frente Leste. Lisbon: Âncora. ISBN 978 972 780 3156.
  25. ^ Rothchild, Donald S. (1997). Managing Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Pressures and Incentives for Cooperation. Brookings Institution Press. pp. 115–116. ISBN 0-8157-7593-8.
  26. ^ Georges A. Fauriol and Eva Loser. Cuba: The International Dimension, 1990, p. 164.
  27. ^ Sulc, Lawrence. "Communists coming clean about their past atrocities", Human Events (13 October 1990): 12.
  28. ^ Ramaer, J. C. Soviet Communism: The Essentials. Second Edition. Translated by G. E. Luton. Stichting Vrijheid, Vrede, Verdediging (Belgium), 1986.
  29. ^ Pawson, Lara (30 April 2014). In the Name of the People: Angola's Forgotten Massacre. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781780769059.
  30. ^ Historical Dictionary of Angola by W. Martin James, Susan Herlin Broadhead on Google Books
  31. ^ National Society for Human Rights, Ending the Angolan Conflict, Windhoek, Namibia, 3 July 2000.
  32. ^ John Matthew, Letters, The Times, UK, 6 November 1992 (election observer).
  33. ^ Angola: Resumption of the civil war Archived 2 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine EISA
  34. ^ Madsen, Wayne (17 May 2002). "Report Alleges US Role in Angola Arms-for-Oil Scandal". CorpWatch. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  35. ^ National Society for Human Rights, Press Releases, 12 September 2000, 16 May 2001.
  36. ^ "Power Kills", Hawaii.edu
  37. ^ "UN reports Angola 'torture' abuse". BBC News. 28 September 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
  38. ^ Angola. Amnesty USA.
  39. ^ Angola. Human Rights Watch.
  40. ^ "How a U.S. agency cleaned up Rwanda's genocide-stained image", The Globe and Mail.
  41. ^ "KWACHA UNITA PRESS THE NATIONAL UNION FOR THE TOTAL INDEPENDENCE OF ANGOLA UNITA STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE POLITICAL COMMISSION 1999 – Year of Generalised Popular Resistance – COMMUNIQUE NO. 39/CPP/99". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  42. ^ Howe, Herbert M (2004). Ambiguous Order: Military Forces In African States. p. 81.
  43. ^ a b Wright, George (1997). The Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Towards Angola Since 1945. pp. 9–10.
  44. ^ Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges; Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein (1986). The Crisis in Zaire. pp. 193–194.
  45. ^ "Angola-Ascendancy of the MPLA". www.mongabay.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  46. ^ Gebril, Mahmoud (1988), Imagery and Ideology in U.S. Policy Toward Libya 1969–1982, p. 70
  47. ^ China Study Centre (India) (1964). China Report. p. 25.
  48. ^ Walker, John Frederick (2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the Giant Sable Antelope of Angola. p. 146.
  49. ^ Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges; Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein (1986). The Crisis in Zaire. p. 194.
  50. ^ National Society for Human Rights, Ending the Angolan Conflict, Windhoek, Namibia, 3 July 2000
  51. ^ "Angolan ruling party gains about 82% of votes in legislative race". Xinhua. 17 September 2008.
  52. ^ "Eleicoes Gerais 2012: Resultados". Comissao Nacional Eleitoral Angola. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  53. ^ "Angola after the election: No rest for the opposition – DW – 09/16/2022". dw.com.
  54. ^ "Man Ah Warrior: The Tappa Zukie Story". 4 May 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  55. ^ "Pablo Moses – Revolutionary Dream". Discogs. 1975. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  56. ^ "Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK lyrics". Genius. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  57. ^ "Revolutionaries – Revolutionary Sounds". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  58. ^ Stuart, Keith (14 January 2016). "Call of Duty publisher sued by family of Angolan rebel". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  59. ^ "Mission 13 Pitch Dark". Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Wiki Guide. IGN. September 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

Further reading

[edit]
  • David Birmingham, A Short History of Modern Angola, Hurst 2015.
  • Inge Brinkmann, War, Witches and Traitors: Cases from the MPLA's Eastern Front in Angola (1966–1975), Journal of African History, 44, 2003, pp. 303–325
  • Mario Albano, Angola: una rivoluzione in marcia, Jaca Book, Milano, 1972
  • Lúcio Lara, Um amplo movimento: Itinerário do MPLA através de documentos e anotações, vol. I, Até Fevereiro de 1961, 2ª ed., Luanda: Lúcio & Ruth Lara, 1998, vol. II, 1961–1962, Luanda: Lúcio Lara, 2006, vol. III, 1963–1964, Luanda: Lúcio Lara, 2008
[edit]