Lumumba's Africa. The story of Angola. Episode 93 | RT.Doc

Angola became a Portuguese colony in the 16th century, and before long its new ‘masters’ had turned it into one of the major hubs for the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved people were shipped to another territory under Portuguese control – Brazil. Historians estimate that more than a million Angolans fell victim to this trade in human lives.
Portuguese rule ended only in 1975, when Angola finally gained independence. Yet, the country was almost immediately engulfed in civil war. The USSR and Cuba backed the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, which remains in power to this day, while the United States and South Africa supported its opponents, including the UNITA movement. The conflict smouldered for decades and came to an end only in 2002. Professor Lumumba notes that Angola is now taking on an increasingly prominent role in continental politics. The question is whether it can overcome the heavy legacy of civil war and emerge as one of Africa’s economic leaders.