Demostenesh Amos Shilingutila ( port. Demósthenes Amós Chilingutila ; November 30, 1947, Camundongo ) - Angolan military and politician, chief of the general staff of the armed forces of the UNITA rebel movement during the civil war . Member of the negotiations with the Government of the MPLA on the creation of a unified Angolan army . In the mid-1990s, he joined the government army. In 1996 - 2008 - Deputy Minister of Defense of Angola. Since 2008 - Member of the Angolan Parliament from the UNITA Party.
| Demostenes Amos Shilingutila | |
|---|---|
| port. Demosthenes Amos Chilingutila | |
| Date of Birth | November 30, 1947 (71 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Camundongo |
| Affiliation |  UNITA (FALA) rebel formations 1974-1994 Angola Armed Forces of Angola (FAA) 1996-2008 |
| Years of service | since 1975 |
| Rank | the general |
| Commanded | FALA General Staff |
| Battles / wars | Angola Civil War |
Content
Education, work, politics
Born in a family of peasants ovimbundu . He received his primary education at the school of the evangelical mission . Then he studied at the commercial and electrical technical college. In 1973 he graduated from the Salazar Industrial Institute in Luanda [1] . He worked as a mail administrator.
In 1974 he joined UNITA . He led a local organization in Huambo Province .
UNITA Chief of Staff
During the Angolan civil war, Demostenesh Amos Shilingutila served in the UNITA rebel army, the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA). In 1977 - 1978 - FALA political commissar in Huambo. He distinguished himself in battles with the government forces of the MPLA ( FAPLA ), proved to be an effective commander and strategist.
Since 1979, Demostenesh Amos Shilingutila - chief of the FALA General Staff [2] . He held this post until 1985 and again from 1986 to 1994 . He was one of the close associates of Jonas Savimbi . He played an important role in the formation of the armed forces of UNITA as one of the most effective rebel armies of the 20th century. He took an active personal part in such major battles as the Battle of Quito-Kwanaval (1987-1988, ended in a “draw”) and the War of 55 days (1993, ended with the victory of UNITA-FAL) [3] .
In 1990 - 1991 Demostenesh Amos Shilingutila actively participated in negotiations with the government on a peaceful settlement. He was one of the authors of the Biesessian agreements . Particular attention was paid to the creation of an all-Angolan army, the integration of the FALA and FAPLA. Interestingly, his negotiating partner was General Francisco Izhin Karneyr [4] - with whom Shilingutile was to meet in fierce “battles of 55 days” for Huambo in less than two years.
After the political crisis of 1992 and the Halloween Massacre, UNITA and FALA renewed the war with the government. “The war of 55 days” occurred precisely during this period. However, Shilingutila believed that the very fact of the Biesessian agreements, the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and the refusal of the MPLA from the communist ideology radically change the situation in the country.
Deputy Minister and Deputy
In 1994, the Lusaka Protocol was approved, confirming the Biesessian agreements. As a supporter of the settlement, Shilingutila joined the Armed Forces of Angola . In 1996, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense and held this post until 2008 (the ministers were Pedro Sebastian and Kundi Payham ). Thus, in 1998 - 2002, he actually participated in the civil war against UNITA.
The activities of Shilingutila in the Ministry of Defense in 2014 became the subject of consideration in a Spanish court - it was about violations in the execution of the contract [5] .
In 1998, Shilingutila participated in the creation of the party UNITA Renovada - Updated UNITA [6] , which agreed to legalization in the new Angolan political system. Her creation was a tangible blow to the Savimbi party.
After the death of Savimbi and the end of the civil war in 2002, Demostenesh Amos Shilingutila reinstated membership in UNITA and entered the party’s governing bodies. He was elected to the Angolan Parliament in the 2008 and 2012 elections. Member of the parliamentary commission on national security [7] .
See also
- Paulo Lucamba
- Arlindo Pena
- Jose Samuel Sivale
- Abilio Kamalata Numa
- Gerald Sashipengu Nunda
Notes
- ↑ Síntese Biográfica - Ministério da Defesa Nacional. Demosthenes Amos Chilingutila.
- ↑ UNITA União Nacional pela Independência Total de Angola
- ↑ Black Will Savimbi. 15 years ago the leader of the Angolan Unita died in battle
- ↑ Luis Manuel Brás Bernardino. A PARTICIPAÇÃO DE PORTUGAL NA EDIFICAÇÃO DAS FORÇAS ARMADAS ANGOLANAS // R. Esc Guerra Naval, Rio de Janeiro, v. 21, n. 1, p. 83-110, jan./jun. 2015.
- ↑ Deputado da UNITA, citado na fraude à Polícia Nacional
- ↑ Há quatro anos assassinaram o líder histórico da UNITA
- ↑ DEMÓSTENES AMÓS CHILINGUTILA. Grupo Parlamentar UNITA