Angola–Zambia relations

Angola–Zambia relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Angola and Zambia. The two countries share a state border measuring 1,065 km in length.

History

In 1976, the Zambian Defence Force drove UNITA rebels out of the western part of the country. The Zambian government supported the MPLA-PT forces in the Angolan Civil War, while at the same time not preventing financial and logistical support for UNITA from Zambian citizens. During the 1980s, Lusaka's ambiguous stance toward Angola was partly due to the possibility that UNITA rebels could come to power in Luanda. By the mid-1980s, the flow of refugees from Angola into Zambia and Zaire had reached several hundred thousand, prompting the governments of these countries to actively seek ways to end the civil war in their neighbor. With the involvement of the international community, Zambia and Zaire modernized the Benguela Railway, which passes through Angolan territory.

In the 2000s, relations between Angola and Zambia normalized as the intensity of armed conflict in the civil war decreased. The Zambian government emphasized its neutrality in the conflict and highlighted the need for a peace agreement between the Angolan government and the rebels to end the civil war. In 2015, Zambian president Edgar Lungu addressed the Angolan parliament at the invitation of the government, demonstrating further strengthening of ties between the two countries.

See also

• Foreign relations of Angola
• Foreign relations of Zambia
• Angola–Zambia border

References

Zambia Category:Bilateral relations of Zambia