Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique: Cabral and FRELIMO

In the small colony of Guinea-Bissau, the PAIGC, founded by agronomist Amílcar Cabral, began an armed struggle in 1963. Cabral stressed political education, schools and clinics in 'liberated zones', and he became one of Africa's most influential revolutionary thinkers. By the early 1970s the PAIGC controlled much of the countryside. Cabral was assassinated in Conakry in January 1973, but the PAIGC declared independence in September 1973, which many UN members recognized.

In Mozambique, FRELIMO was founded in 1962 in Dar es Salaam under Eduardo Mondlane and launched its war in 1964 in the north. Mondlane was killed by a parcel bomb in 1969, and Samora Machel became leader. Portugal responded with large offensives and resettlement, and in 1973 a British newspaper reported a massacre of villagers by Portuguese troops at Wiriyamu, damaging Portugal's reputation. Both wars drained Portugal and made army officers increasingly doubt that the colonies could be held.