Bellicosity and destabilization in southern Africa: Alcora exercise and Colt operation

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the context of armed struggles for national independence in southern Africa. It documents on the basis of Portuguese sources the security and military records between Portuguese, South African and Rhodesian authorities. Its objects are two processes: the “Exercise Alcora / Threat to the Alcora Countries (factors)” and the “COLT process”. The investigation of these documents was done in Portuguese archives, namely in the National Archives of Torre do Tombo (ANTT) and in the Historical Military Archive (AHM) in the period between March and May 2015.