Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), known as Spear of the Nation in English, was the armed wing of the African National Congress from 1961 to 1990. Nelson Mandela founded the MK after the Sharpeville massacre, and its goal was to fight against the South African government, which had turned to using force against the rebels. On 16 December 1961, it launched the first of its attacks on government installations, leading to South Africa and the United States declaring it a terrorist group. On 11 July 1963, 19 ANC/MK leaders (including Arthur Goldreich and Walter Sisulu) were arrested at Liliesleaf Farm in the Rivonia suburb of Johannesburg, but the MK continued its war against the government, including landmine campaigns. In 1990, the MK disbanded as Mandela sought to wage a political struggle against the government, and it merged with the South African National Defense Force in 1994.
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