Republic of Cabinda

In this timeline, the North Angolan province of Cabinda was never merged with the rest of Angola. Instead it remained a separate colony under a separate administration. And while the colonies were technically separate, they shared a close bond economically and culturally given their proximity. So when a war of independence broke out in neighboring Angola in 1961, Cabindan separatists rose up shortly after.

Unlike neighboring Angola however, the Portuguese government largely kept a lid on revolution in Cabinda. As the Portuguese military became overwhelmed by separatists in Angola, they moved troops to neighboring Cabinda which they saw as a refuge for the Portuguese in Africa should they lose Angola and Mozambique.

Cabinda’s population at the beginning of the war consisted of ~70,000 native Africans. But by the end of the war in 1975, 120,000 Portuguese Angolans and 10,000 Portuguese Mozambicans had immigrated to Cabinda in order to escape violence.

Following the overthrow of the Estado Novo regime in Portugal, every other Portuguese African colonies was granted independence except for Cabinda. Debate broke out in Portugal over whether to grant the colony independence. The Portuguese government ultimately decided to hold a referendum in Cabinda in 1976, available to Africans and Europeans, on whether Portugal should retreat from Cabinda and leave it to its own devices.

The European Cabindans felt like the Portuguese military was doing too little to suppress African separatist violence and voted overwhelmingly for independence. However the African Cabindans, fearing a white apartheid regime should Cabinda secede, voted to stay with Portugal. While many African Cabindans despised Portugal, they feared that much worse would come from the European Cabindans.

When all votes were counted, the Europeans prevailed due to their majority in the territory. And as the Portuguese military left in 1976, violence broke out yet again between African and European Cabindans, each wanting complete control over the territory. Unlike the last civil war however, this one would end quickly. The African Cabindans were at a significant disadvantage in both guns and men.