When the Dutch forces occupied Luanda in 1641, the capital of the Portuguese colony of Angola, the neighbouring countries of Kongo and Ndongo had welcomed them, sending embassies and receiving promises of assistance in driving the Portuguese out of the colony and central Africa.

However, following the initial Dutch success, the Portuguese had fallen back into their interior positions, first at Bengo, where they were driven out, and then to the Fort Nossa Senhora da Vitória at Massangano.

Following her defeat at Kavanga in 1646, however, the situation was sufficiently grave that the Dutch commander decided to commit forces to her support.

[1] As a result of this victory, Nzinga and her army were able to lay siege to three of the Portuguese presidios in Angola, Ambaca, Masangano and Muxima.

These sieges were not successful, largely because neither she nor her Dutch allies possessed sufficient artillery to conduct an attack, even though the number of the Portuguese did not exceed 300.