Coloured Views: A discourse analysis of Dutch media representation of the Cuban involvement in the Angolan Civil War, 1975-1988.

Abstract

The role of the Cubans in ending apartheid is a hotly contested topic where opinions are usually divided along the colour line and across the political spectrum. The Angolan Civil War, where the support of the Cuban armed forces played a significant role in driving back the invading South African army, remains one of the least studied conflicts in the late Cold War. In the West, opinions on the role of the Cubans in Southern Africa are usually defined by the politics of the author. This thesis attempts to better our understanding of why opinions are so divided on the influence of the Cuban armed forces by applying Critical Discourse Analysis to two mayor newspapers on different sides of the political spectrum in the Netherlands, which was chosen as a case study Western country. It concludes that the Cuban perspective is largely lacking in both historiography and the media reporting on the conflict.