« Back to Provision

Military Reform – 1991

The Bicesse Accords stipulated the formation of a national army, the Angolan Armed Forces. The establishment of the armed forces was set to occur in five phases: 1) appointment of the CCFA; 2) appointment of the Angolan Armed Forces High Command; 3) appointment of the subunit commanders; 4) appointment of the regional and brigade commanders; and 5) appointment of the branch commanders. The Angolan Armed Forces would be formed partly from demobilized UNITA combatants. 

The functional regulations for the Commission for the Formation of the Armed Forces were formally approved on June 27.¹ On November 14, 1991, Ahilio Camalata Numa (former commander of the UNITA army’s Northern Front) and Joao de Matos (former government army commander) were jointly appointed Supreme Commander of the Angolan Armed Forces.²

¹ “Angola’s CCPM approves functional regulations,” Xinhua General News Service, June 27, 1991.
² “Angola former government and UNITA commanders sworn in as Supreme Command,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, November 16, 1991.