Contents: Part 1. Guinea-Bissau and the Liberation Struggle • Part 2. Two Colonialisms • The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was founded in 1956 by Amilcar Cabral and a group of comrades. Their goal was to liberate their country from the oppression imposed upon it by Portuguese colonialism. Within 18 years, their goal was achieved; the Republic of Guinea-Bissau became the newest member of the United Nations in September 1974. This was greeted by progressive people throughout the world with enthusiasm and support and somewhat begrudgingly acknowledged by non-progressive forces such as the United States, which had supported Portugal militarily through NATO...
Contents: Part 1. Guinea-Bissau and the Liberation Struggle • Part 2. Two Colonialisms • The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was founded in 1956 by Amilcar Cabral and a group of comrades. Their goal was to liberate their country from the oppression imposed upon it by Portuguese colonialism. Within 18 years, their goal was achieved; the Republic of Guinea-Bissau became the newest member of the United Nations in September 1974. This was greeted by progressive people throughout the world with enthusiasm and support and somewhat begrudgingly acknowledged by non-progressive forces such as the United States, which had supported Portugal militarily through NATO for the duration of the war. The political mobilization of the people, which lasted about two years, was a crucial factor in developing mass participation. About one thousand mobilizers were trained by Cabral in Conakry, the capital of neighboring Guinea, and were sent into the interior. At first, they lived in the forest and made contact with one or two people whom they could trust. These people would bring friends, and slowly the mobilizer would build up support and be able to hold village meetings. Only when PAIGC felt it had strong support from the peasants did the first armed action begin in January 1963. Ten and a half years later, with two-thirds of the country liberated, PAIGC declared the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. It had established schools, hospitals, people's stores, a system of justice based on people's courts, and a system of local and regional government. Elections for a National Assembly had been held the year before throughout the liberated zones. Stephanie Urdang is one of the editors of Southern Africa magazine, published by the Southern Africa Committee. The pamphlet mentions the Cape Verde Islands, economic and social revolution, Teodora Gomes, Carmen Pereira, Bwetna N'Dubi, social reconstruction, and FARP (People's Revolutionary Armed Forces).
