David "Samwimbila" Chingunji (born in 1945, died in 1970) served as a top commander in the

National Union for the Total Independence of Angola The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( pt, União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola, abbr. UNITA) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the Popular Movement for ...

(UNITA), who became pro-

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rebels in the subsequent

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Angolana) was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war immediately began after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The war was ...

(1975–2002). David Chingunji was the nephew of Tito Chingunji, served as the foreign secretary of Angola's UNITA rebel movement in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Death and aftermath

Chingunji died when UNITA forces tried to ambush Portuguese forces in 1970. Some said UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, fearing a competitor for control of UNITA, ordered Chingunji's assassination, alleging Chingunji had opposed the planned ambush but Savimbi insisted. Some witnesses say non-Portuguese killers shot Chingunji in the back. He had trained in the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and the Chinese government openly named him as a possible successor to Savimbi. All of his brothers, with the exception of Dinho, died in mysterious circumstances. Twenty one years later Tito Chingunji was also murdered in Angola (which is the same place where his nephew David was murdered) in 1991 under circumstances that are still not fully understood."Angolan rebel lays killings to a CIA plot,"
''The New York Times'', May 5, 1992.

References

1945 births 1970 crimes in Angola 1970 deaths 1970 murders in Africa 1970s murders in Angola 20th-century Angolan people Angolan rebels Angolan revolutionaries Angolan warlords Assassinated Angolan politicians Deaths by firearm in Angola Male murder victims Members of UNITA People murdered in Angola Unsolved murders in Angola {{Angola-bio-stub

Death and aftermath

See also

References