Cuíto, formerly known as Silva Porto, is a city and municipality in central Angola, capital of Bié Province.

[6] The pleasant climate in the Bié Province was attractive to Portuguese settlers and many made their home in Silva Porto in the early 1900s when the Benguela Railway connected the city to the coast.

Cuíto had a long history of violence starting with the African slave trade and tribal warfare.

UNITA was eventually driven from Cuíto and a second attempt was made to capture the city in 1998 using huge artillery and tanks.

The actual railway station serving Cuíto is located a few kilometers north of the town.