according to "presidents of foreign policy" by edward r. drachman and alan shank, a series of meetings and accords between unita and the mpla, brokered by various african leaders, failed horribly. unita was insulted by mpla's insistence on a premise of a one-party state. a combination of mpla dismay of intervention from the usa (backing unita and forcing a shift in power) led to the mpla dropping the one-party state and opening the door to a multi-party democracy, with the inclusion of unita as a competing party. after some 18 years of war, that was a tremendous breakthrough.