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South African Border War

South African Border War
Part of the Cold War and Decolonisation of Africa
SABorder War Montage1.jpg
Clockwise from top left: FAPLA MiG-21bis on an airstrip; SADF convoy patrolling Namibian roads; 1981 protests against SADF aggression in Angola; Soviet advisor with FAPLA subordinates; UNTAG peacekeepers just prior to Namibian independence; SADF expeditionary troops loading a mortar in the operational area
Date 26 August 1966 – 21 March 1990
(23 years, 6 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location South West Africa (Namibia), Angola, Zambia
Result

Military stalemate

Territorial
changes
South West Africa gains independence from South Africa as Republic of Namibia.
Belligerents
Anti-communist forces:
 South Africa
South Africa South West Africa
African nationalist forces:
SWAPO (PLAN)
SWANU
Commanders and leaders
South Africa Gerrit Viljoen
South Africa Willie van Niekerk
South Africa Louis Pienaar
South Africa BJ Vorster
South Africa Pieter Willem Botha
Cornelius Njoba
Peter Kalangula
Jonas Savimbi

Sam Nujoma
Tobias Hainyeko
Peter Nanyemba
Dimo Hamaambo
Peter Mweshihange

Solomon Huwala
Angola António Franca
Angola Iko Carreira
Strength

~71,000 (1988)

South Africa South Africa:
30,743 SADF troops in Angola and Namibia
South Africa South West Africa:
22,000 SWATF troops
8,300 SWAPOL police

~ 94,000 (1988)

Flag of South West Africa People's Organisation.svg SWAPO:
32,000 PLAN guerrillas
Cuba Cuba:
12,000 FAR troops in southern Angola
Angola Angola:
50,000 FAPLA troops
Casualties and losses
South Africa 2,038 – 2,500 11,335
Cuba 2,289–5,000 (including Angolan Civil War casualties)
Namibian civilian dead: 947–1,087

Military stalemate

Sam Nujoma
Tobias Hainyeko
Peter Nanyemba
Dimo Hamaambo
Peter Mweshihange


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