Independence day of Angola

Angola gained its independence from Portugal on November 11th, 1975. The first Portuguese presence in Angola dates back to the year 1448 with the visit of the first Portuguese explorer, and gradually the Portuguese began to expand to reach the interior region of Angola, and they established settlements and trading posts along the Angolan coast, until they controlled the country completely in the 20th century.

Angolans began to struggle and resist the colonial presence from the first days, and forms of resistance to gain the independence increased in the fifties of the twentieth century. The Portuguese regime at that time refused to accept any moves by its colonies towards independence, and it suppressed independence movements in Angola, which led to the emergence of armed resistance and guerrilla campaigns, and the launch of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in 1961.

After the coup in 1974 in Portugal, the Portuguese government approved the right to self-determination for its colonies by holding a popular referendum. In January 1975, the main liberation groups in Angola formed a transitional government, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) succeeded in taking control of Angola's capital, Luanda, and declared the independence of the People's Republic of Angola on November 11th, 1975.

It is worth mentioning that the Egyptian-Angolan relations are characterized by coherence and stability throughout history, as Egypt supported Angola in its struggle to achieve independence, and the first regional office of the MPLA party was opened in Cairo headed by Mr. Paulo Jorge, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, to intensify the Egyptian support for Angolan liberation movements against Portuguese colonization.