[1]: 702 The South Africans anticipated attacks from two or three fronts possibly from Cahama, Xangongo or Ondjiva towards Ruacana and Calueque.

[1]: 724  The SADF's main conventional unit in SWA, 61 Mechanised Battalion was in a state of reorganisation and training after Operation Hooper.

[1]: 725  The South Africans did not believe that Cuban/FAPLA forces in south-eastern Angola at Cuito Cuanavale would try to attack the UNITA's bases at Mavinga and Jamba.

The South Africans withdrew at dusk having lost seven men and one captured,[3]: 238  Sergeant Johan Papenfus[4]: 164  and failed to retrieve the fourth Casspir and its equipment.

[3]: 238  Later that evening, a further three companies from 201 and 101 Battalions were sent forward to capture Donguena, but with Cuban tank positions south of the town, withdrew.

On 16 May, two reconnaissance units were airlifted to an area south of Techipa and while the second landed close to Xangongo but on the western side of the Cunene River.

[2]: 250  A decision was then made to establish a new task force but it would only be in operation by early June, with a specific aim of protecting the water scheme at Calueque.

[3]: 241  In the meantime, three companies of 32 Battalion would hold the line until the task force was operational and would continue to patrol and reconnoitre the area south of Techipa.

[3]: 241  Members of 32 Battalion company ambushed a Cuban de-mining team before the mortaring began and then found themselves being attacked by four BRDM-2 armoured personnel carriers and from two other hidden outposts.

[3]: 242 June 1988 was spent reinforcing the defences around Techipa with consisted of minefields, bunkers and anti-tank barriers which had been employed successfully to slow down the SADF and UNITA forces around Cuito Cuanavale during Operation Packer.

After a visit to SWA/Namibia, General Jannie Geldenhuys spoke to journalists on 8 June, announcing the Cubans build-up and their advance to the border region around Ruacana and the call-up of SADF conventional forces made up of citizen reserves.

[4]: 164 Meanwhile, the Cubans and FAPLA forces advanced from Xangongo on 24 June, the first prong of their plan and attacked the SADF units at Cuamato.

[2]: 252  201 Battalion[2]: 252  with additional elements of Ratels and mortars[3]: 243  stopped the advanced and occupation of the town and the Cubans retreated back to Xangongo.

[2]: 252 At the same time the Cubans, Angolan's and South Africans met in Cairo on 24 June for a second round of tripartite talks.

[4]: 164  61 Mechanised Battalion and their tanks begun moving at the same time to find a better position than the night lager and when advancing over a low ridge, ran into a forward Cuban units ambush.

[3]: 245  One of those bombs from the fifth plane exploded between a Buffel and Eland 90 killing eleven SADF soldiers on ammunition escort duty.

[3]: 244 [5]: 453  As described above, the air attack part of the Cuban operation went ahead but their ground forces retreated back to Techipa after the clash.

[3]: 246  The South African public was shocked by the deaths at Calueque[4]: 165  and the government ordered a scaling back of operations.

[3]: 248 The parties met again in the Cape Verde on the 22 July for the fourth round of talks but all that was agreed on was the proposal to set up a Joint Monitoring Commission.

[3]: 248 Following the clashes at the end of June 1988, the South African politicians and the military re-evaluated the SADF's role in the operational area.

The plan called for approximately 1,200 men, half as an airborne drop and the rest by means of an amphibious assault backed by navy strike craft.

With the assistance of the Soviets, the American were able to get the Cubans, Angolans and South Africans to sign the Geneva Protocol on 5 August 1988.

It did however state that it wished to stop fighting if the Angolan government held talks with them or ceased attacking them and seek national reconciliation.

Battle Group 20, the only SADF force in south-eastern Angola, had been assisting UNITA to maintain the siege of Cuito Cuanavale after the end of Operation Packer.

[1]: 759 The SADF elements arrived at the Angolan/SWA/Namibian border with ten days to spare and had to wait around as the Joint Monitoring Commission and world media organised themselves for the crossover at Rundu at a temporary steel bridge that was to take place on 1 September.

[5]: 549  On 30 August 1988, the last of the South African troops crossed a temporary steel bridge into SWA/Namibia watched by the world's media and the Joint Monitoring Commission, 36 hours early than the planned time.

[8] The Joint Monitoring Commission then declared on 30 August 1988, that the South African Defence Force had now left Angola.

[1]: 761 Planning however continued for Operation Prone in case further peace negotiation's failed to agree to the linkage of the implementation of UN Resolution 435 to the Cuban withdrawal from Angola.

[1]: 761 Nine more rounds of negotiations followed revolving around the dates for the Cuban withdrawal from Angola that finally ended with an agreement called the Tripartite Accord signed on 22 December in New York.