Halloween massacre (Angola)

Since independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola had been in a civil war between the MPLA and UNITA.[2] The Marxist–Leninist MPLA received direct support from Cuba with the backing of the Soviet Union and other communist states,[2] whilst the UNITA sold itself as an anti-communist organization and received direct military support from South Africa with help from the United States.[2] Ferocious combat was waged during this time period but neither side was able to claim total victory over the other.[3] As the Cold War began to draw to a close, Cuba and South Africa withdrew their troops from the conflict,[2] forcing the MPLA and UNITA into negotiating a political settlement to the conflict.[3]

From 1 May 1991, UNITA and MPLA forces agreed on a framework to begin establishing peace in Angola between the two parties.[4] This framework evolved into the Bicesse Accords, signed by the People's Republic of Angola and UNITA on 31 May 1991 in Lisbon, Portugal. The United States and the USSR acted as observers, while Portugal mediated the talks.[4] The accords set out a timetable and established certain conditions that each side agreed to meet by the specified dates. There were three key parts of the agreement; the beginning of a ceasefire (with the initial stages taking effect at the beginning of May and entering into force upon the signing of the accords),[4] the integration of UNITA forces into the Angolan armed forces (which was to occur upon the implementation of the cease fire agreement and had numerous provisions to establish the non-partisan nature of the armed forces),[5] and a nationwide democratic election, which was to take place between the 1st of September to the 30th of November 1992.[4]

The 1992 elections took place from 29 September 1992 to 30 September 1992. The MPLA claimed victory in these elections, taking roughly fifty-three percent of the vote and gaining one hundred and twenty nine seats in the legislature[6] whereas UNITA claimed thirty four percent of the vote and gained seventy seats.[6] For the presidency, José Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA received forty-nine percent of the vote compared to UNITA Savimbi's forty percent.[6] Despite having a higher percentage of the vote, dos Santos was just under the fifty percent majority required to be reelected.[6] Because neither the MPLA nor UNITA obtained the required absolute majority of the presidential election, a follow-up election was necessary according to the constitution. Savimbi, in spite of the UN mission's declaration that the elections were generally free and fair, claimed that the government had rigged the elections, and began pulling UNITA's soldiers out of the new unified Angolan armed forces.[6]