The land that makes up Cunenia have been inhabited for thousands of years mainly by nomadic tribes such as the Ovambo and Kavango. In the 18th century Italian explorer Sergio Di Lagovesti founded the Royal Italian Colonisation Society which took over the western coastline of southern Africa. Following the Berlin Conference the territory was officially established as the Italian Southern-Central African colony of the Italian Empire which saw a mass emigration of white people's to the colony, which was renamed as Lagovesti after Di Lagovesti's death in 1891. Following the Second World War a controversial referendum was held by the Lagovestian National Union Party which saw Lagovesti become a republic in 1946. White minority rule was implemented into Lagovesti and from 1952 to 1960 oppression