Amílcar Cabral (1924 - 1973)

Fri Sep 12, 1924

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Amílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral, born on this day in 1924, was a Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, intellectual, theoretician, revolutionary, political organizer, nationalist, and diplomat. He was one of Africa’s foremost anti-colonial leaders, leading the nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde Islands and the ensuing war of independence in Guinea-Bissau.

From 1963 until his death, Cabral led the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC) guerrilla movement against the Portuguese government, which evolved into one of the most successful wars of independence in modern African history. The goal of the conflict was to attain independence for both Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde.

Cabral was assassinated on January 20th, 1973 (likely by a Portugal-backed assassin) about eight months before Guinea-Bissau’s unilateral declaration of independence. Cabral’s pan-Africanism and revolutionary socialism continues to be an inspiration for socialists and national independence movements worldwide.

“We must practice revolutionary democracy in every aspect of our Party life. Every responsible member must have the courage of his responsibilities, exacting from others a proper respect for his work and properly respecting the work of others. Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories…”

- Amílcar Cabral