The family of slain Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi are suing the makers of the popular video game 'Call of Duty' for representing his character as a 'barbarian'.

Three of Savimbi's children, who live in the Paris region, are seeking one million euros in damages from the French branch of game publisher Activision Blizzard.

Lawyers for both parties describe the case involving defamation over a video character as a first.

The family of slain Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi (pictured in Call of Duty: Black Ops II) are suing the makers of the popular video game 'Call of Duty' for representing his character as a 'barbarian'

The offending clip shows Savimbi, known as the 'Black Cockerel' by his supporters, rallying his troops from the back of a tank as the MPLA advances on them, gunfire rattling all around

Savimbi was the founder and leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which fought a 27-year civil war with the government in Luanda.

He was killed in battle against MPLA government forces in 2002, paving the way for a peace deal that would bring an end to one of Africa's longest and bloodiest conflicts, which erupted after independence from Portugal in 1975.

The war left at least half a million people dead and forced some four million civilians to flee their homes in the oil-rich nation.

As charismatic as he was controversial, the bearded Savimbi often appeared in uniform with a cocked red beret.

Backed by America and other western powers, Savimbi was even described as a 'freedom fighter' by Ronald Reagan and was invited to the White House.

Ten years after his death, his children discovered that their father was appearing in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which was released in 2012.

Backed by America and apartheid South Africa, Savimbi was even described as a 'freedom fighter' by Ronald Reagan and was invited to the White House.

The family's lawyer Carole Enfert said Savimbi is represented as a 'big halfwit who wants to kill everybody', an 'outrageous' image that does not reflect his personality

Etienne Kowalski, a lawyer for Activision Blizzard, said Savimbi is represented 'for who he was... a character of Angolan history, a guerrilla chief who fought the MPLA'

The offending clip shows Savimbi, known as the 'Black Cockerel' by his supporters, rallying his troops from the back of a tank as the MPLA advances on them, gunfire rattling all around.

He yells out phrases such as 'fight, my brothers' and 'we must finish them... death to the MPLA'.

The mission is to rescue one of the game's main protagonists, Frank Woods, who at some point recounts: 'Our dog in the fight was a guy named Jonas Savimbi. You think I'm f***ing nuts? This guy...'

The family's lawyer Carole Enfert said Savimbi is represented as a 'big halfwit who wants to kill everybody', an 'outrageous' image that does not reflect his personality as a 'political leader and strategist'.

'A warlord, yes, (but) he was an important person in the Cold War, he was a friend of (Nelson) Mandela,' she said.

The Angolan civil war left at least half a million people dead and forced some four million civilians to flee their homes in the oil-rich nation

Lawyers for both parties describe the case involving defamation over a video character as a first

However the game's publishers disagree that they misrepresented Savimbi.

Etienne Kowalski, a lawyer for Activision Blizzard, said Savimbi is represented 'for who he was... a character of Angolan history, a guerrilla chief who fought the MPLA'.

Kowalski said the video game shows Savimbi in a 'rather favourable light' as a 'good guy who comes to help the heroes'.

The complaint also notes that his son, who closely resembles his father, is often 'recognised in the street as the character' from the game.

It is not the first time that historical and political figures have appeared as characters in 'Call of Duty'.

Cuba's Fidel Castro, slain former US president John F Kennedy and former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega have all made appearances.