ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a summary outlook on Ovimbundu nationalism. It unpacks a thorny issue in Angolan history: the Ovimbundu’s non-involvement in the liberation war and their alleged support to the colonial state. Tracing several cultural associations created by Ovimbundu people, this chapter explores how they were positioned towards the ethnic question. It demonstrates that these associations were not a sign of early Ovimbundu ethnic nationalism but rather attempts to challenge the colonial state by organising gatherings where politics was discussed, a prohibited, illegal activity at the time. With the start of the liberation war in 1961, politics in Angola began assuming ethnic contours. The chapter presents a discussion of this initial period, showing how ethnicity and region of origin served as identity markers which ultimately promoted party adherence along ethnic lines. Episodes of extreme violence ensued, further polarising ethnic groups and creating popular conceptions of predetermined political identity.
