View source for Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda

{{Short description|Cabindan guerilla movement for the independence of Cabinda Territory}}
{{redirects|FLEC|the China Fisheries Law Enforcement Command|Maritime law enforcement agencies in China}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name             = Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda
| native_name      = Movimento para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda {{in lang|pt}}
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name       = 
| logo             = COA Republic of Cabinda.svg
| caption          = Emblem of the movement
| dates            = {{Start date|1963|df=yes}} – present
| leader           = [[ Rodrigues Mingas]]
| motives          = Independence of [[Cabinda (province)|Cabinda]]
| area             = [[Cabinda (province)|Cabinda province]], [[Angola]]
| ideology         = [[Cabinda province]] [[independence]]
| position         = 
| crimes           = 
| attacks          = [[Togo national football team attack]]
| status           = Active
| size             = 
| allies           = {{ubl|
* {{flagcountry|Zaire}} (until 1997){{cn|date=October 2024}}
* [[World League for Freedom and Democracy|WLFD]]
* [[Liberation Front of the State of Cabinda|FLEC]]
* [[Communist Committee of Cabinda|CCC]]}}
| opponents        = {{flagcountry|Angola}}
| war              = {{tree list}}
* [[Angolan War of Independence]]
* [[Angolan Civil War]]
** [[Cabinda War]]
{{tree list/end}}
| revenue          = 
| financing        = 
| url              = 
| flag             = 
}}

[[File:Cabinda map-en.svg|thumb|250px|Map of the Cabinda region which is an [[exclave]] out of Angola.]]

The '''Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda''' ({{langx|pt|Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda}}, FLEC) is a [[guerrilla]] and political movement fighting for the independence of the [[Angola]]n Territory of [[Cabinda (Territory)|Cabinda]].<ref name="france">AlʻAmin Mazrui, Ali. ''The Warrior Tradition in Modern Africa'', 1977. Page 227.</ref> Formerly under [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] administration, with the independence of Angola from [[Portugal]] in 1975, the territory became an [[exclave]] province of the newly independent Angola. The FLEC fights the [[Cabinda War]] in the region occupied by the former kingdoms of [[Kakongo]], [[Kingdom of Loango|Loango]], and [[N'Goyo]].

==History==
[[File:Flag of Cabinda (FLEC propose).svg|thumb|Older flag of FLEC]]
On February 1, 1885, the [[Treaty of Simulambuco]] was signed, establishing Cabinda as a Portuguese protectorate.<ref>[http://www.unpo.org/content/view/2744/99/ UNPO Resolution Concerning the Cabinda Enclave] Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, July 7 2005</ref><ref>Shillington K., Encyclopedia of African history, Volume 1, p197 {{ISBN|978-1-57958-245-6}}</ref>

In 1963, three organizations &mdash; the [[Movement for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda]] (MLEC), [[Action Committee of the Cabinda National Union]] (CAUNC), and the [[Mayombe National Alliance]] (ALLIAMA) &mdash; merged to form the FLEC.<ref name=b>{{cite book|last=James|first=W. Martin|author2=Susan Herlin Broadhead|year=2004|title=Historical Dictionary of Angola|page=60}}</ref>

During the [[Portuguese Colonial War]] (1961–1974), the nationalist movements of Cabinda fought against the [[Portuguese Armed Forces]]. After the [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]] regime which ruled Portugal and its overseas territories fell in the "[[Carnation Revolution]]" military coup of 25 April 1974 in [[Lisbon]], independence was offered to all the territories abroad, including to Angola. In 1975 FLEC constituted a provisional government spearheaded by Henriques Tiago that proclaimed [[Republic of Cabinda|Cabindan independence]] from Portugal on August 1, 1975. Luís Ranque Franque was the president. 

FLEC broke into three factions; FLEC-Ranque Franque, FLEC-[[N'Zita]], led by [[Henrique N'zita Tiago]], and FLEC-Lubota, led by Francisco Xavier Lubota. In November 1977 another faction, the Military Command for the Liberation of Cabinda, was created. In June 1979 the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Cabinda created another movement, the [[Popular Movement for the Liberation of Cabinda]] (MPLC, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Cabinda). In the 1980s FLEC received help from the [[National Union for the Total Independence of Angola]] (UNITA), which opposed the MPLA-controlled government of Angola, and from [[South Africa]]. In 1988, the [[Communist Committee of Cabinda]] (CCC, Comité Comunista de Cabinda) left the FLEC, led by Kaya Mohamed Yay. In the 1990s another faction, the National Union for the Liberation of Cabinda (União Nacional de Libertação de Cabinda), led by Lumingu Luís Gimby, was created.{{citation needed|date = January 2018}}

Another group was created by Cabindese expatriates in the [[Netherlands]] in 1996, the "[[Liberation Front of the State of Cabinda|Frente de Libertação do Estado de Cabinda]]" (FLEC (Lopes), Liberation Front of the State of Cabinda).

In December 2002, [[Angolan Armed Forces]] announced the capture of FLEC-Renovada.<ref name=GS>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/cabinda.htm Global Security. Military. Cabinda]</ref>

FLEC-FAC has continued its struggle for independence both inside and outside Cabinda. In October 2006 FLEC-FAC asked for intervention by the [[African Union]]'s [[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights|Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights]].{{cn|date=April 2024}} 

===Togo football team bus attack===
{{Main|Togo national football team bus attack}}

On 8 January 2010, while being escorted by Angolan forces through the disputed territory of Cabinda, the team bus of the [[Togo national football team]] was attacked by gunmen as it travelled to [[2010 Africa Cup of Nations]] tournament. The ensuing gunfight resulted in the deaths of the assistant coach, team spokesman and bus driver, as well as injuring several others.{{citation needed|date = January 2018}} 

An offshoot of the FLEC claimed responsibility. [[Rodrigues Mingas]], secretary general of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda-Military Position (Flec-PM), said his fighters had meant to attack security guards as the convoy passed through Cabinda. "This attack was not aimed at the Togolese players but at the Angolan forces at the head of the convoy," Mingas told France 24 television. "So it was pure chance that the gunfire hit the players. We don't have anything to do with the Togolese and we present our condolences to the African families and the Togo government. We are fighting for the total liberation of Cabinda."<ref>
{{cite news
 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/11/two-arrested-togo-football-attack
 |title= Togo footballers were attacked by mistake, Angolan rebels say
 |work=[[The Guardian]]
 |last1= Sturcke |first1=James
 |last2= Myers |first2=Paul
 |last3= Smith |first3=David
 |date=2010-01-11
 |access-date=2010-01-11}}
</ref>

==Kidnappings==
Members of the group have taken several foreign citizens hostage in Cabinda. In May 2000, FLEC-FAC kidnapped three foreign and one local employee of a Portuguese contractor who were released in two months.<ref name=GS/>

==External support==

France has had a large interest in Angola. The French oil giant [[TotalEnergies]] which made a new offshore oil discovery in October 2009, has been expanding its presence in Angola. The country is the second largest contributor for production of TotalEnergies after [[Nigeria]].<ref name="New York Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/world/AP-EU-France-African-Diplomacy.html |title=Togo Bus Rampage Exposes France's Angola Ties |work=[[The New York Times]] |author=Angela Charlton |date=2010-01-12 |access-date=2010-01-13}}</ref> According to Angolan media, France and Portugal will allow extradition of leaders of the separatist movement in the wake of the [[Togo national football team bus attack|2010 attacks on Togo's football team]] for which FLEC claimed the responsibility.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=1044-26|title=Portugal to hand over Cabinda separatist leaders? |date=2010-01-15|work=The Portugal News Online|access-date=2010-01-15}}</ref>
<br />

==See also==
*[[Republic of Cabinda]]
*[[Cabinda War]]
*[[African independence movements]]
*[[Lists of active separatist movements|List of active autonomist and secessionist movements]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.cabinda.org Official Government of Republic of Cabinda website] {{in lang|pt}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120411232707/http://www.cabindanation.net/ Kabinda Nation] {{in lang|pt}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120121233644/http://www.flecnoticias.com/ FLEC Noticias] {{in lang|pt}}
*[http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?perpetrator=386 Incidents attributed to FLEC on the START terrorism database], [http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=118 Profile on START] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221122821/http://start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organization_profile.asp?id=118 |date=2013-12-21 }}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Cabinda independence movement]]
[[Category:Rebel groups in Angola]]
[[Category:Angolan Civil War]]
[[Category:Angolan War of Independence]]
[[Category:Secessionist organizations]]
[[Category:Separatism in Angola]]
[[Category:National liberation movements in Africa]]
[[Category:Nationalist terrorism]]
[[Category:Regionalist parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1963]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Angola]]