U.S. Policy Towards Angola (1975-1980)

Angola attracted the attention of the United States due to the civil war.Although,in its rebellion against colonial rule,the United States has used African frontline nations to maintain contact with the Front for National Liberation of Angola(FLAN)and Union for the Total Independence of Angola(UNITA),to provide them with limited assistance.But given that the U.S.has little strategic interest in the region,the Portuguese colonial authorities still control the regime in Angola,other countries do not have big moves,so they do not want to be involved too much.Before the mid-1970 s,the United States' policy toward Southern Africa was to support national self-determination and anticolonialism on the one hand;on the other hand,it maintained its relationship with NATO allies,which in essence was the middle policy.In April 1974,a military coup broke out in Portugal.The Caetano regime collapsed and the new government decided to implement decolonization in Africa.This action has greatly shocked the countries in and outside Africa.They think this is a golden opportunity and can use it to influence the situation in Angola.The United States is no exception.During the Ford period,East-West relations were the dominant factor in its foreign policy.The United States decided to involve Angola,most of the reason was to contain the expansion of Soviet and Cuba presence in Africa.The CIA conducted covert operations in Angola,and inciting South Africa's intervention.However,in the final stage of the civil war in Angola,the American public and Congress were extremely dissatisfied with the government's activities in Angola and then cut off the funds for covert operations.During this period,Soviet and Cuba increased his assistance to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola(MPLA),and eventually defeated FLNA,and UNITA also retreated to the jungle area in the south for guerrilla warfare.The failure of the United States in the Angolan civil war led the Carter administration to change its diplomatic ideology,readjust its policy on Africa,and focus on a peaceful solution to the problems in Southern Africa.Promote the normalization of the relations between the United States and the Angola;Accelerate Angola and Zaire Reconciliation;push South Africa's reforms;and seek cooperation from Angola on the issue of Namibia.However,Carter's policy has been criticized domestically and considered that it was too weak to cause the Soviet Union's influence in Africa to expand.With the intensification of soviet and Cuba's expansion activities in Africa and the return of globalist forces headed by Brzezinski,Carter's policy on Angola has become tougher.