Mozambique: Environment/Famine/Fishing, 1996-1984

The research files for various African countries document Portuguese, German, and British colonialism, imperialism, independence and post-independence civil war mainly in the countries of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The file units are arranged alphabetically by country and then by topic. Independent liberation organizations represented include: The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), and National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA); the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC); and the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO); and Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and Zimbabwe People's Union (ZAPU). Other topics of note throughout the files include investment and divestment campaigns, economy and society, human rights violations, political prisoners, United States federal government policy, and women's issues. The files mainly contain collected articles, news clippings, and press releases with occasional correspondence, statements, and reports; as well as printed items in the forms of brochures, flyers, pamphlets, newsletters, and serials. Selected printed items are noted throughout the collection listing.

The records provide information on the period of the Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974) and civil war (1975-2002) within Angola. Emerging in the early 1960s, the initially peaceful movements for independence resorted to more violent measures and unrest using guerrilla warfare throughout the former colonies in the region. The Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974) from Portugal was followed by a long civil war (1975-2002) among Angola's three main political guerrilla groups, FNLA, MPLA and UNITA, and was a critical point of contention for superpower hostilities during the Cold War with the United States, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) supporting FNLA and UNITA while the Soviet Union and Cuba supported the MPLA. MPLA successfully maintained an organized socialist regime from 1975-1990. The records documenting the liberation struggles in Angola cover the topics of military strategy, political structures, and individuals in leadership roles, economics, and Angola's independence movement in relations to others in the region. The Africa Fund research files provide extensive background and context for Portuguese colonialism and guerrilla campaigns against the Portuguese military.

PAIGC, the political party that governed Guinea-Bissau from independence (1974) until the late 1990s, was founded by Amilar Cabral and his brother, Louis, in Portuguese Guinea in 1956. In 1961, the Conference of Nationalist Organization of the Portuguese Colonies was formed by PAIGC, FRELIMO in Mozambique, and MPLA of Angola to coordinate their activities for independence across the African Portuguese Colonies. Armed engagement started in March 1962 through guerrilla warfare. The research files for Guinea Bissau (1970-1999) and PAIGC (1973-1988) consist of materials documenting post-independence of the Republic of Guinea Bissau under the leadership of Luis Cabral following the assassination of his brother in January 1973. The records contain information regarding governance, economic development, and politics with PAIGC as the ruling party of both Guinea Bissau and the Cape Verde Islands.

The research files for the country of Mozambique (1964-1998) cover the period of FRELIMO's guerrilla campaign against the Portuguese (1964-1974) and the period of civil war (1977-1992) that followed between FRELIMO and RENAMO. FRELIMO, founded as a liberation movement in 1962, established a one-party state after independence based upon Marxist principles, persecuted all opposition, and received support from Cuba and the Soviet Union. FRELIMO controlled the cities within the country while RENAMO controlled the rural areas in which both political parties participated in massive human rights violations during the war. Following the death of President Samora Machel in 1986, his successor Joaquin Chrissano made changes and reforms to the Mozambique political system to establish capitalism and begin peace talks with RENAMO. Mozambique held its first democratic elections in 1994.

The research records that The Africa Fund compiled for the country of Namibia (1962-1998) include materials that cover Namibia's occupation and war of independence from South Africa (1966-1990), as well as the era post-independence and UNTAG's (United Nations Transition Assistance Group) monitoring of the peace process, democratic elections, and military withdrawals. Originally a German colony, Namibia was occupied and governed by South Africa from 1915, though never officially incorporated into its territories. In the 1960s as European powers granted independence to their colonies, South Africa was pressured to release Namibia (also known as South West Africa). A complaint by Ethiopia and Liberia against South African occupation was dismissed by the International Court of Justice in 1966 and became the catalyst for the military wing of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) to fight a guerrilla war against the South African regime. Additional topics covered include economy, elections, detentions, health and human rights, labor, politics, settlement and trade.

The Zimbabwe research files cover the period of the Rhodesian Bush War (1964-1979), and the era following of political upheaval, fraudulent elections, and human rights violations by the political parties of ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) and ZAPU (Zimbabwe People's Union), and their merger into ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union—Patriotic Front) (1980-1998). The files for the period of the Rhodesian Bush War highlight the conflict between the Rhodesian white minority government and two independent, but rival groups: ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) lead by Robert Mugabe and ZAPU (Zimbabwe People's Union) lead by Josua Nkomo. The unrest that followed the war emerged after the 1980 elections where Robert Mugabe and ZANU won majority rule. The majority rule by ZANU was seen as a Shona (Bantu) takeover unrest in the province of Matabele erupted and led to a series of civilian massacres from 1982 to 1985, also known as the Matabeleland Massacres or known as Gukurahundi who were mainly supporters of Nkomo.

Additional countries that are represented in smaller portions of the records are: Algeria (1958-1997), Eritrea (1983-1998), Ethiopia (1980-1990), Kenya (1982-1997), Libya (1981-1996), Malawi (1979-1996), Nigeria (1979-1998), Rwanda (1969-1999), Sudan (1979-1999), Uganda (1972-1998), Western Sahara (1977-1997), and Zaire (1964-1997).