(Bold italics in name indicates popular nickname)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Affiliation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 November 1975 to 11 February 1976 | Holden Álvaro Roberto, President of the Joint National Council for the Revolution | valign=top | FNLA | |
| Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, President of the Joint National Council for the Revolution | valign=top | UNITA | ||
| 11 February 1976 | Counter-government suppressed by Angolan government | |||
| 1979 | Counter-government restored | |||
| 1979 to 22 February 2002 | Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, President | valign=top | UNITA | |
| 22 February 2002 to 4 April 2002 | Paulo Lukamba Gato, interim leader, Secretary-General of UNITA | UNITA | ||
| 4 April 2002 | Accord ends Civil War | |||
| FNLA | Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola |
| (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) northern regionalist, estd.1957 as UPNA: (Unio das Populacoes do Norte de Angola) | |
| UNITA | União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola |
| (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) authoritarian/conservative, primarily ethnic Ovimbundu | |