On August 8th, Somalia invaded Ethiopia, the latest chapter in the ongoing dispute over the Ogaden. The Somalis were initially successful in their attack, but the Soviets-- initially patrons of…
Angolan invasion: A small force of Angolans invaded the Shab province of Zaire. The Zairan forces proved ineffectual, so 1,500 Moroccan troops transported by the French and financed by the…
Angola declared its independence from Portugal. Two separate governments were proclaimed: the Soviet-backed Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for Total Independence of Angola…
A further consequence of the changes in government policy in Portugal was the granting of independence to Mozambique on June 25th. A Marxist state with Samora Moises Machel as President…
The 44- year reign of Haile Selassie came to an end when he was deposed by the army. Selassie had begun his reign as an absolute monarch. However, during the…
The U.N. Security Council voted to give South Africa until May 30th 1975 to begin transferring power in Namibia to the Namibians. Ten days before the deadline, South African Premier…
After a military revolt in Portugal that brought a left-leaning government to power, the Portuguese government agreed to grant independence to Portuguese Guinea. The new country was renamed Guinea-Bissau and…
A seven-year drought in sub-Saharan Africa brought starvation to 100,000 people in the countries of Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Burkina Faso. (HC)
In January, while the Ugandan President Milton Obote was out of the country, Colonel Idi Amin staged a coup to oust the President. Amin soon began a reign of terror…
A civil war in Nigeria lasted for three years. Most countries in Africa supported the central government because of the fear of a similar breakup in their respective countries. “The…
In January, a series of insurrections in the Nigerian army resulted in chaos in the country. “Troops murdered their officers, civilians killed each other.” The governor of the Nigerian Eastern…
On October 4th the British colony of Basutoland became independent and was renamed Lesotho. It became a monarchy under King Moshoeshoe. Chief Leabua Jonathan became Prime Minister.
On September 30th Botswana, formerly called the Bechuanaland Protectorate, became independent. Its first President was Sir Seretes Khama.
Rhodesia announced its independence from Great Britain, in defiance of the British government. Rhodesia's government, which was led by Ian Smith, was all white in a country that was almost…
On February 18th Gambia became a fully independent country. A referendum on becoming a republic was not a success. The first Prime Minister was Dawanda Jawara.