Calueque
Town in Kunene Province, Angola
title: "Calueque" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["angola–south-africa-relations", "angola–namibia-relations", "dams-in-angola", "populated-places-in-cunene-province"] description: "Town in Kunene Province, Angola" topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calueque" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Town in Kunene Province, Angola ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Calueque |
| official_name | Calueque |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_map | Angola location map.svg |
| subdivision_type4 | Province |
| subdivision_name4 | Kunene Province |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Angola |
| coordinates | |
| :: |
| name = Calueque | official_name = Calueque | settlement_type = Town | image_map = Angola location map.svg | subdivision_type4 = Province | subdivision_name4 = Kunene Province | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Angola | coordinates = Calueque is a town next to a dam and pumping station of the same name on the Kunene River in the Kunene Province of southern Angola. The water project is linked to Ruacana, 20 km away in Namibia, where the Ruacana Power Station is. This dam is one of the last landmarks along the Kunene River, prior to the Kunene becoming a border feature between Angola and Namibia. |last=Hogan |first=C. Michael |year=2012 |url=http://www.eoearth.org/article/Kunene_River?topic=78166 |title=Kunene River |editor-last=Saundry |editor-first=P. |editor2-last=Cleveland |editor2-first=C. |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Earth |publisher=National Council for Science and the Environment |location=Washington DC |accessdate=2012-05-14 |title=Agreement between the government of the Republic of South Africa and the government of Portugal in regard to the first phase of development of the water resources of the Cunene river basin |url=https://www.fao.org/docrep/W7414B/w7414b11.htm |date=21 January 1969 |publisher=Département de l'administration et des finances (Portugal) |accessdate=2012-05-02
Angolan Civil War
The area was of considerable strategic importance, providing the pretext for the initial 1975 South African military intervention in the Angolan Civil War when staff at the facility were threatened by guerrillas. |title=Days of the Generals |page=21 |last=Hamann |first=Hilton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYgWcHq8lE8C |publisher=New Holland Publishers |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-86872-340-9 |accessdate=2007-10-15
Throughout the Angolan Civil war Calueque remained continuously occupied by South African forces. In 1988, during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the Cubans opened a second front against the South Africans and launched a massive ground offensive in the direction of Calueque. The area to the north of the dam became the scene of bloody fighting which proved to be a turning point in the war. On 27 June 1988, Cuban MiG-23 fighters attacked the facilities. The first wave of aircraft bombed the bridge and sluice gates, killing South African soldiers in the process. Another wave bombed the pumps and generator, while a third destroyed the pipeline to Ovamboland. Significantly, one of the last bombs hit the position of South African soldiers nearby who had exited their Buffel troop carrier to watch the events unfold. The dam and pipelines were considerably damaged, rendering the scheme inoperable. The South Africans (SWATF, A Coy, 701Bn) were the last to leave, retreating over the bridge back into SWA on 29 June, after blowing up the ramparts that were built at the dam wall.
Whilst the Calueque Dam and bridge were neglected since the bombing of 1988,{{cite news |url=http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/July/national/07A5358397.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070815041710/http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/July/national/07A5358397.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2007|date=16 July 2007|title=No plans to repair Calueque wall|publisher= The Namibian}} the Angolan Government in April 2012 signed a US$225 million contract for the rehabilitation of the dam wall, the construction of two hydro plants, a new channel and 21 irrigation pivots. The project was awarded to Mota-Engil and Lyon and is scheduled to take 25 months.{{cite news |url=http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/economia/2012/3/14/Calueque-Dam-under-rehabilitation,e5b8b352-3deb-4fe4-9d3c-0491595be900.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130403172055/http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/economia/2012/3/14/Calueque-Dam-under-rehabilitation,e5b8b352-3deb-4fe4-9d3c-0491595be900.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 April 2013|date=4 February 2012|title=Calueque Dam under rehabilitation|publisher=ANGOP}}
References
References
- George, Edward. (2005). "The Cuban Intervention in Angola, 1965-1991: From Che Guevara to Cuito Cuanavale". [[Routledge]].
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