Portugese war against Dembos

Years 1907 1910 Battle deaths 5,100 One of the most difficult Portuguese military campaigns of the period was waged against the Dembos, a Kimbundu speaking people who lived less than 150 kilometers northeast of Luanda. The Portuguese attacked the Dembos repeatedly over a period of three years before the Dembos were finally subdued in 1910. Because of difficult conditions, including the tropical climate, the Portuguese did not complete their occupation of Dembos land until 1917. An estimate of casualties places losses at 5000 to the Portuguese and 5000 to the Dembos.