Moxico

Luena, formerly known as Vila Luso, is the capital of Angola's Moxico Province and the largest city in the country's remote east. Built along the Benguela Railway, it links the Atlantic port of Lobito with the interior and sits close to the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

The town grew around the railway, which reached the area in the early 20th century, and later became a strategic point during Angola's long civil war. The conflict ended in 2002 when UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi was killed near Luena, and the city's striking Monumento à Paz now commemorates that reconciliation.

Central Luena is anchored by the railway station, the cathedral and the Monumento à Paz, while the former governor's palace on Avenida 28 de Maio and the Centro Cultural do Moxico reflect the city's administrative and cultural role. Beyond town, Cameia National Park and Lake Dilolo offer wetlands and wildlife, and ruins of old Moxico trace the region's earlier settlements.

Life in Luena centres on its markets, where traders sell cassava, maize, honey, fish and produce brought in by rail and road. As a stop on the Lobito Corridor, the city has become a growing logistics and trade hub, with provincial government offices, banks and businesses concentrated in the central districts.

Leisure travellers come for the peace monument, local culture and access to eastern Angola's lakes and parks, while business visitors arrive for trade, mining-related services and government work. Luena Airport (LUO), road connections and the Benguela Railway make the city the natural base for exploring Moxico.