Battle of Mbumbi

Date: December 18, 1622 • Location: Bula Atumba, Angola

Portuguese forces and their Imbangala allies defeated the Kongo army at the Battle of Mbumbi.

The Imbangala or Mbangala were groups of warriors and marauders, who worked as hired mercenaries in 17th-century Angola, and later founded the Kasanje Kingdom. They served both the Portuguese Empire and its regional enemies at different periods. The Portuguese valued them as partners in the African slave trade because their reputation as fierce warriors who practised cannibalism helped them subjugate rival groups and supply captives to slave traders.