During the Colonial War Portugal faced 27,000 insurgents spread across three theatres (Cann, 1997; and see my Protagonists of the Portuguese Colonial War section). The insurgents represented a wide range of, and often conflicting, liberation movements. I’ve only listed those that had armed forces in the field. Generally they fought in small groups; a force of 200 insurgents gathered in one place was rare.
| Protagonist’s Order of Battle | Country | Fought |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | All | MPLA, UPA / FNLA / GRAE, UNITA |
| UPA / FNLA / GRAE | Angola | Portuguese, MPLA |
| MPLA | Angola | Portuguese, UPA / FNLA / GRAE, UNITA |
| UNITA | Angola | Portuguese, MPLA |
| PAIGC | Guinea Bissau | Portuguese |
| FRELIMO | Mozambique | Portuguese |