Angola: Wrecked Tanks Along the Road to Lubango

The road from Namibia to Lubango in Angola is scattered with tanks and armored vehicle ruins left from the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) and the South African Border War (1966–1990). South Africa, controlling Namibia at the time, frequently launched military operations into southern Angola to fight SWAPO (Namibian independence fighters). This led to major battles, such as the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (1987–1988), one of the largest tank battles in Africa since World War II. Even after South Africa withdrew in 1989, the civil war raged on until 2002. Angola was a battleground for Cold War powers, with the Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA government, while the U.S. and South Africa backed UNITA rebels. The war left thousands of destroyed military vehicles, including Soviet-made T-55 tanks, BTR armored personnel carriers, and Cuban and South African vehicles.