The British government closes its consulate in Angola

The British government closed its consulate and evacuated British citizens from Angola. This was a subsequent to increasing tensions in Angola, with Cuban forces fighting on behalf of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and South African troops for the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). UNITA and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) set up a rival government in the mountainous region of Huambo, inland from Benguela. The two organisations enlisted the support of South African forces in neighbouring Namibia to oust the Marxist MPLA which was supported by Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).