The relationship between Cuba and Africa is deeply rooted in history, marked by solidarity, cultural ties, and mutual support. This bond, forged in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid, has left an indelible mark on both continents. Cuba's involvement in Africa, particularly its support for liberation movements and its role in the Angolan Civil War, remains a significant chapter in the history of international relations.
The Early Years: Support for Liberation Movements
Cuba's internationalist involvement in Africa began in 1961 with aid to Algerian rebels, reflecting a sense of kinship with those fighting against regimes supported by the United States. During the Cold War, Africa became a major target of Cuba's influence. Fidel Castro stated that Africa was chosen in part to represent Cuban solidarity with its own large population of African descent. Exporting Cuba's revolutionary tactics abroad increased its worldwide influence and reputation.
In the 1960s, Cuban paramilitary operations were established in the former Belgian Congo and Guinea-Bissau, even without informing the Soviet Union. The movement in Guinea-Bissau enjoyed the support of Cuba and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union provided sophisticated weapons, while Cuba provided military instructors and medical professionals. The Cuban military mission in Conakry trained the Guinea-Conakry rear guard and helped guerrillas operate the most sophisticated weapons. Until the Cubans arrived in 1966, there were no doctors with these guerrillas.
The Angolan Civil War: A Turning Point
In the 1970s, hope for southern Africa seemed bleak, with Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau under Portuguese control. After the collapse of Portuguese rule, the United States collaborated with South Africa to crush Angolan guerrilla movements. The MPLA [the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola] gained strength in the early 1970s, but it lost ground because of a powerful Portuguese counteroffensive and internal divisions.
In November 1975, as South Africans were advancing along the coast, Angola sent a desperate appeal request to Cubans for help. On November 4, Fidel decided to send troops to Angola. The Soviet Union was miffed, because it didn’t want the Cubans to intervene. It showed its annoyance by not assisting in the dispatch of Cuban troops to Angola. The South Africans were willing to escalate, but they wanted things in return from the Ford administration. First, if the Soviet Union intervened, they wanted the United States to intervene. Their second demand was that the United States openly and fully endorse the South African invasion in Angola. South Africa could have crushed the Cubans by sending 30,000 soldiers into Angola against approximately 2,000 Cubans in late November.
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Cuban intervention in the region was decisive in changing the course of liberation movements against the United States and South Africa. A Cuban military mission arrived with the first elements of support in August, and the bulk of the mission arrived in October.
Piero Gleijeses, a historian at Johns Hopkins University, has written extensively on Cuba's role in Southern Africa.
The Battle Against Apartheid
Fidel Castro understood that it was the struggle against apartheid, which he called the most beautiful cause of mankind. What was at stake in Angola in late 1975 was not just who would rule Angola - it was southern Africa as a whole. Southern Africa was dominated by whites. In February 1976, two articles appeared in the South African press around the same time announcing that, for the first time, South Africa was being defeated by a nonwhite army. An editorial in the World said that South Africa was riding the crest of the wave generated by the Cubans in Angola. There was a psychological element that was very important: the defeat of the South African giant.
Cubans fighting in Angola against apartheid South Africa also supported Namibian and South African independence. Even today, Namibian leaders remember this solidarity: the current Namibian president Hage Geingob, on a trip to London last week that included a speaking engagement at Chatham House, modified his schedule to accommodate memorials for the Cuban revolutionary.
If the Cubans had not intervened, there would have been another South African victory in southern Africa that would have tightened the grip of apartheid over South Africa.
The Secret History of How Cuba Helped End Apartheid in South Africa
The Defensive Line
After the South Africans left Angola in April 1975, Fidel wanted to keep a large contingent of troops in Angola. He thought the troops could help in the struggle against apartheid at some point. The South African government decided to overthrow the MPLA government, because Agostinho Neto opened Angola to guerrilla movements in southern Africa.
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Cuba decided that they were not strong enough to defend the far south of the country. So it decided to create this defensive line about 250 kilometers north of the border. It stopped withdrawing its troops. There were a number of troops in Angola in 1978, a number that gradually increased as the number of South African troops increased. The Cuban troops were necessary to ensure the independence of Angola. They served as a shield.
The End of the Cold War and Beyond
After two months on their own, Moscow aided the Cuban mission with the USSR engaging in a massive airlift of Cuban forces into Angola. Both Cuban and South African forces withdrew in the late 1980s and Namibia was granted independence. The Angolan civil war would last until 2002. Nelson Mandela is said to have remarked "Cuban internationalists have done so much for African independence, freedom, and justice."
At least 4,300 Cubans are believed to have died in conflicts in Africa, half of them in Angola alone. Cubans who served in Angola have mixed emotions about their time there. Angolans remain much more appreciative of Cuba’s internationalist solidarity, especially the education they received. Although Cuban-Angolan relations cooled during the 1990s, they significantly improved after the end of the Angolan civil war in 2002.
Today, Cuba continues to maintain strong ties with many African nations, providing medical assistance, educational programs, and other forms of support. This enduring relationship, forged in the crucible of shared struggles, stands as a testament to the power of solidarity and the pursuit of a more just world.
Contemporary Relations
Since the end of apartheid the South African government has sought to extend significant support to the Cuban government in the form of loans, payment for technical exchanges and advocacy support to end the United States embargo against Cuba.
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South Africa since 1996 has been a recipient of Cuban medical internationalism. During the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa the South African government deployed Cuban medical personal across the country to help fight the pandemic at a cost of R429 million.
Table: Cuban Internationalism in Africa
| Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Medical Support | Since the early 1960s, thousands of Cuban health workers have worked in numerous African countries. |
| Education | Cuban teachers have educated millions of Angolans. Thousands of scholarships were granted for Angolans to study in Cuba. |
| Military Support | Cuban troops played a crucial role in the Angolan Civil War and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. |
| Construction Projects | Thousands of Cubans provided technical advice, planning, and training of engineers in various construction projects. |
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