Background
In mid 1985, the Angolan government devised a planned offensive called Operation Congress II. The plan called for the largest ever two frontal attack on UNITA forces in Angola. The Angolan forces were to be advised and led by Russian and Cuban military advisors. The Angolan forces would be supported by some SWAPO and ANC combatants, as well as tanks, artillery and aircraft. The plan called for a simultaneous attack on Cazombo in the east and Mavinga in the south-east and to take one or both objectives by 3 September. The hope was to divide UNITA troops and force them to fight on two fronts and therefore weaken their defensive capability. The potential loss of Mavinga by UNITA could give FAPLA the opportunity to stage a further attack on UNITA's capital at Jamba. The South Africans believed that if Mavinga was taken, FAPLA would move its air defence network south thus threatening the South African Air Force (SAAF) ability to protect Jamba from Angolan air attack, making it susceptible to ground attack and opening southern Angola to increased SWAPO activity into Namibia. The offensive started at the end of July, with UNITA continually attacking FAPLA columns as they moved towards their objectives. By the beginning of September, FAPLA had reached the outskirts of UNITA's defensive positions around the towns of both Cazombo and Mavinga.
Read more about this topic: Operation Wallpaper
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