Savimbi was killed on February 22, 2002, in a skirmish with Angolan government troops along riverbanks in the province of Moxico, where he was born, despite having survived more than six attempts at assassination and having been declared dead at least 17 times. 15 gunshot wounds to the head, throat, upper torso, and legs were inflicted upon Savimbi during the shootout. Despite Savimbi’s attempts to retaliate, his injuries were lethal, and he died nearly immediately.

Many Angolans questioned the veracity of reports of Savimbi’s death in 2002 because of his enigmatic reputation for eluding the Angolan military and their Soviet and Cuban military advisors. It was not until images of his bloodied and bullet-riddled body appeared on state television and the US State Department later confirmed it that the reports of his death in combat gained traction in the country. In the province of Mexico’s Luena, he was buried in the Luena Main Cemetery. Four MPLA youth wing members were prosecuted and sent into custody after his grave was vandalized on January 3, 2008. In 2019, his corpse was publicly unearthed and reburied.