Death of Savimbi Renews Hope for Peace in Angola - And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly?

This situation report analyzes the potential for peace in Angola following the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on 22 February 2002. While the Angolan government has initiated a 15 Point Plan for peace and a unilateral truce, the report highlights significant fragmentation within UNITA and disputes over the legitimacy of current negotiations.

• The death of Jonas Savimbi on 22 February 2002 is viewed as a potential watershed for the 28-year Angolan civil war, as the Angolan government and international community regarded him as the primary cause of the conflict and an untrustworthy partner who failed to comply with the 1991 Bicesse Peace Accords and the 1994 Lusaka Protocol.
• President dos Santos introduced a 15 Point Plan on 14 March 2002, which ordered the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) to cease offensive actions against UNITA rebels. This plan includes a proposed blanket amnesty for UNITA fighters, a re-integration programme for demobilised soldiers, and the goal of holding elections following the approval of a new Constitution.
• Pre-negotiation meetings took place on 15 March in Cassamba, Moxico Province, between General Abreu Kamorteiro (UNITA) and General Nunda (FAA). The parties agreed that the FAA would provide logistical support and that delegations would be based in Luena, located approximately 770 km southeast of Luanda.
• The legitimacy of the peace talks is contested by UNITA's external mission, which claims the representatives participating in the Luena talks are prisoners of war under government control and lack the authority to negotiate on behalf of the movement.
• UNITA is deeply divided into several factions: the military UNITA-Savimbista (estimated at fewer than 10,000 soldiers in northern Angola, Benguela, and Kwanza Sul), the UNITA-Renovada party led by Eugenio Manuvakola (recognized by the government as the sole legal interlocutor), a group of parliamentarians in Luanda, and an External Mission led by Isaias Samakuva in Paris.
• The leadership of the military wing of UNITA is uncertain; while General Antonio Dembo was the designated successor, the FAA claims he has died. General Paulo Lukamba "Gato" is next in line but is widely disliked by other factions and has not appeared in public for several weeks.

APA

Porto, J. G., Cornwell, R., & Boshoff, H. (2002). Death of Savimbi Renews Hope for Peace in Angola - And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-mar-2002-death-of-savimbi-renews-hope-for-peace-in-angola-and-yet-can-the-black-cockerel-fly

Chicago

Porto, João Gomes, Richard Cornwell, and Henri Boshoff. Death of Savimbi Renews Hope for Peace in Angola - And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly? Institute for Security Studies, 2002. https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-mar-2002-death-of-savimbi-renews-hope-for-peace-in-angola-and-yet-can-the-black-cockerel-fly.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Porto |first1=João Gomes |last2=Cornwell |first2=Richard |last3=Boshoff |first3=Henri |title=Death of Savimbi Renews Hope for Peace in Angola - And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2002 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-mar-2002-death-of-savimbi-renews-hope-for-peace-in-angola-and-yet-can-the-black-cockerel-fly |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{porto2002death, author = {Porto, João Gomes and Cornwell, Richard and Boshoff, Henri}, title = {{Death of Savimbi Renews Hope for Peace in Angola - And yet, can the Black Cockerel Fly?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2002}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-mar-2002-death-of-savimbi-renews-hope-for-peace-in-angola-and-yet-can-the-black-cockerel-fly}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }