The South African Border War - Operation Seiljag Forgotten War

Annals of wars we don’t know about: The South African border war of 1966-1989

By Robert Goldich
Best Defense panel of consulting historians

There aren’t many truly unknown wars these days. Military history writing, scholarly and popular and in between, has mushroomed over the past several decades. But military events under the Southern Cross receive much less attention, because the vast majority of the developed countries are well north of the Equator.

he South African Border War, commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa (now Namibia) and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces (mainly UNITA) on the one side and the Angolan Armed Forces (FAPLA), South-West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), and their allies – mainly Cuba – on the other. It was closely intertwined with the Angolan Civil War and the Namibian War of Independence.

This List of operations of the South African Border War details the military operations conducted by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War:

Operation Savannah (1975)
Operation Bruilof (1978)
Operation Seiljag (1978)
Operation Reindeer (1978)
Operation Rekstok (1979)
Operation Safraan (1979)
Operation Sceptic (Smokeshell) (1980)
Operation Vastrap (July 1980)
Operation Klipklop (1980)
Operation Vasbyt (1981)
Operation Konyn (1981)
Operation Carnation (1981)
Operation Protea (1981)
Operation Daisy (1981)
Operation Kerslig (1981)
Operation Super (1982)
Operation Meebos (1982)
Operation Drama (1983)
Operation Phoenix (1983)
Operation Askari (1983)
Operation Boswilger (1985)
Operation Egret (1985)
Operation Argon (1985)
Operation Wallpaper
Operation Alpha Centauri (1986)
Operation Modular (1987)
Operation Hooper (1987 / 1988)
Operation Packer (1988)
Operation Prone (1988)
Operation Vuiswys (1988)
Operation Displace (1989)
Operation Linger (1989)
Operation Agree (1989)