ZIPRA (Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army) – The military wing of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), one of the two primary nationalist movements that fought against white minority rule during the Rhodesian Bush War (1964-1979). Led by Joshua Nkomo and employing more conventional military tactics than its rival ZANLAZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army) – The military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), one of the two main nationalist m... More, ZIPRA operated primarily from bases in Zambia and conducted operations in western and southwestern Rhodesia. The organization received training, equipment, and support from the Soviet Union and utilized more structured, conventional military formations compared to ZANLA’s guerrilla approach. ZIPRA forces included armored units and were generally better equipped with heavy weapons. Following Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, ZIPRA merged with ZANLAZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army) – The military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), one of the two main nationalist m... More to form the Zimbabwe National Army, though tensions between the two former rival groups persisted into the early 1980s, culminating in the Gukurahundi conflict.
