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MPLA (Angola)

image by Antonio Martins, 18 June 1997

Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola (MPLA)

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Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola (MPLA)

The MPLA was founded in 1956 as a Marxist party with a strong following in the Angolan capital, Luanda. This was the be crucial in the MPLA's seizure of power in 1975. It was first led by Antonio Neto until his death and now by Eduardo dos Santos, who is still the President of Angola. The MPLA commenced military operations against the Portuguese in 1963. The flag is divided horizontally, red over black, with a yellow star in the centre. It is said that this flag was adapted from that of the Viet Cong in Vietnam, whose flag was red over blue with the same yellow star. The change of colour from blue to black in the MPLA flag is a fairly obvious adaptation to African symbolism. In the mid 1980s, the new regime in Burkina Faso adopted a very similar flag, for similar reasons, in which the blue/black of the VC/MPLA flags became green. The MPLA flag strongly influenced the flag of what became the People's Republic of Angola at independence. The MPLA remains the ruling party in Angola, having officially renounced both single party rule and Marxism in the early 1990s.
Stuart Notholt, 10 Jan 1996

The MPLA-PT (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho, that is, Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labor Party), is the ruling party with 129 MPs in the Angolan Parliament (total number: 227). Its flag is the well-known red and black horizontal bicolour with a yellow star centered.
Jorge Candeias, 28 Nov 2001