In a study of Angola and particularly armed struggles in Angola, one will soon touch upon Cabinda. There is, however, shockingly little written on the subject. Flicking through John Reader's Africa, A Biography of the Continent from 1997 for example, leaves you with an impression that Cabinda was something that bleakly existed in the 1880's and that disappeared soon after.

Cabinda became a Portuguese protectorate in 1885 after the signing of the Simulambuco Treaty between Portuguese officials and Cambindan chiefs. The treaty guaranteed Portuguese protection over the kingdoms to counter Belgium's colonial expansion. The treaty was evaluated and accepted by the other European powers at the Berlin Conference that same year. Later, revisions of this was suggested by, among others, Belgium who wanted Portugal away from the north of the Congo river.

A question to ponder upon is whether the Treaty of Simulambuco destroyed Cabinda: It is evident that the country is neither free nor stable today, but would things have been different if Cabinda was not a Portuguese protectorate? I would say yes, it is probable that without these treaties, Portugal would not have had any political significance in Cabinda. Unless, of course, Portugal would have colonized it and the current situation would have been tidier - Cabinda would have been a part of Angola. It is, however, more likely that Cabinda would have been colonized by Belgium. This, in return, would have kept Cabinda and Angola separated and probably kept Cabinda, with all its riches, as a part of the DRC. Historically and ethnically, this would have been more correct as the three independent kingdoms that made up Cabinda were under strong influence from the Manikongo of Kongo.

In either case, however, a free and independent Cabinda would have been unlikely. This could have occurred if France, Holland or Germany had colonized the area. All three had interests, though limited.

Until 1956, when the Portuguese administration of the Colony of Angola and the Protectorate of Cabinda were merged, the Simulambuco Treaty was undiscussed and followed acceptably. Now disagreements blossomed: According to the Cambindan leaders, Portugal had no right to redefine Cabinda's administration without their acceptance, which they had not given. After all, Cabinda had sovereign rights as a protectorate.

At this time, independence movements separate from those of Angola were created, namely MLEC, ALIMA and CANUC. In 1963, these would merge to form the better know FLEC which still today is operative, but fractionized.

What is interesting is that the only document which binds Cabinda to Angola is the 1975 Alvor Agreement and that is not valid: There is no official Cambindan acceptance of this agreement. In addition, the Alvor Agreement was violated by the Angolan parties that had signed it as the provisional government fell.

In 1975, FLEC constituted a provisional government in Cabinda led by Enriquez Tiago that proclaimed independence from Portugal on 1. August 1975. Luiz Ranque was the president of the republic. After Angolan independence in November that same year, MPLA and Cuban forces invaded and soon took control of Cabinda. This did not stop FLEC from announcing a provisional government once again in 1977.

In the 1980's, amnesty was granted to some rebels and official talks were held between FLEC and the Angolan government. These never materialized and fighting and political instability and distrust continued. Cabinda expressed its dislike for Luanda's governing for example, through calling for a boycott of the 1992 elections. In 1996 a ceasefire was signed between the government and FLEC, also this was broken and military actions continued. The 2002 ceasefire between UNITA and the government allowed for larger parts of the FAA forces to be relocated to Cabinda; sources suggest that as much as 30,000 soldiers were moved. This allowed for serious offences against FLEC militarists and reports suggest that today, only small units of guerrilla-teams are left of the FLEC army.

Cabinda has always been an important source of income for Angola: Historically, the first oil discoveries were made in Cabinda in 1954 and the first successful drill was conducted there in 1955. Since then, Cabinda has been a good source of income. Today, Cabinda produces nearly 700,000 bpd of oil, near half of total Angolan production. This is evidently one of the reasons for Angola's strong wish to control the area.

A solution to the problems in Cabinda probably lie in the far future. However, very simple means could change the situation a lot: The question of Cabinda's legitimacy as a country has never been raised by the UN. This could have settled the issue once and for all, although both sides of the conflict would dislike defeat, there is a chance that they may not disregard the UN decisions.