DR. KWAME NKRUMAH (1909 - 1972)

Dr Nkrumah was one of the outstanding African Nationalists and statesmen.  He was born on 18, September 1909 in Nkroful village in Southwestern Ghana. His father was a blacksmith of the Nzima clan. Though uneducated, he wanted Nkrumah to study and have more education than he would get at home.

Nkrumah was educated in a catholic missionary school, Achimota College and a Teacher Training College in Accra.  After he completed his training, Nkrumah started teaching at the Roman Catholic Junior School in 1930. He was promoted to be a head teacher of a Junior School at Axim. Though working at that time, he wanted to continue with his studies abroad.

By 1935, he had saved enough money for further education. He went to the US where he studied theology, sociology, philosophy, economics and education. At Lincoln and at the University of Philadelphia, Nkrumah obtained a Bachelor of Theology degree, a Master of Science degree in Education and a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. He made a particular study of the history of African people and the colonial masters. This enabled him to fight colonialism in Africa later.

As a student in America, Nkrumah began to write his first book entitled Towards Colonial Freedom which was published in 1945 with emphasis that Europeans came to Africa to exploit the resources but not to develop Africa. He called upon Africans to work together to free themselves.

While in US, Nkrumah experienced a high level of discrimination of black people. This experience made him more determined than ever before to free Africa from foreign rule. For he believed that when Africa is free, then Africans wherever they live, will be respected.

In May 1945, Nkrumah left US for England where he studied law at the London School of Economics. But he spent most of his time in political work. He became vice president of West African Students Association (WASA) that discussed problems facing Africans and got solutions.

It was in England that he helped his friend George Padmore, from West Indies in the organization of the 5th Pan African Conference held in Manchester in October 1945. Its purpose was to link all movements and groups seeking to end colonial rule in order come up with best way of achieving independence. Over 200 people from Africa and the diaspora attended.

After his return to Ghana in 1947, he served as secretary to a political party called United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). As a son of a peasant he found it easy to speak to the ordinary people and to organize them.

In 1948, he broke away from UGCC. The reason was that UGCC was slow in action and was an elite party. He formed his own political party called Convention People's Party (CPP).  This was mass party that had support all over the country.

As the head of CPP, Nkrumah advocated for "Independence now" and the policy of positive action in order to attain political freedom. Because of this action the Governor ordered for his arrest.

He was imprisoned in 1950 and elections were carried out in 1951.  Despite being in prison, Nkrumah continued to run his party, which became victorious. He was elected Member of Parliament for Accra Central.

He was released on 12th February 1951 after a year's imprisonment and he became the first African leader of government. The governor asked him to form a cabinet of 8 people although more power was in the hands of British still.

In March 5, 1952, he was named the first Prime minister of Gold Coast. As a Prime Minister of Gold Coast, he speeded up preparation for total independence. In July 1953, he made a very powerful speech, which was called the Motion of destiny in which he wanted the British to name date for Ghana's independence.

Again in 1954, because the British wanted the people to elect more representatives to Parliament and also to decide whether the people supported the Destiny motion, another general election was conducted where CPP again won with 72 out 104 contested seats.

There were some people who opposed the activities of CPP. Because of this, the British ordered for another general election in Ghana to show definitely that people of Ghana wanted CPP to lead them to independence.  Once again CPP won a clear victory in this election held on 17th July 1956

After these elections, Gold Coast became independent on March 6, 1957 with Nkrumah as the first black president, South of the Sahara. After more than 100 years of British rule the new state was renamed Ghana.

He became a prominent Pan Africanist who was determined to unite the whole Africa in the formation of United States of Africa.  To this effect, he organised conferences for the independent African states in 1958 in Ghana called the APC (African People's Conference). Six weeks after the conference ended, Kwame visited all countries, which had taken part. He wanted to see for himself how they were getting on with matters of African unity.

As an important step towards African unification, an agreement was signed between Nkrumah and Sekou Toure to form the Ghana-Guinea union in December 1958. Mali, which was headed by President Modibo Keita, followed this in April 1961.

While president, Ghana became very prosperous. It was the richest nation among the independent African Nations especially after the construction of the Volta dam project which Nkrumah himself commissioned. New roads were opened up, airports and harbours, hospitals, shops and offices were set up.

Education was promoted by setting up schools and training colleges in every part of Ghana. Several Universities were opened up at Legon, Kumasi and Cape Coast. All education from primary to university was made free. Textbooks and basic necessities were provided.

Industries increased in number, making goods such as cloth, soap, cement, shoes among others which previously had to be imported.

 

In 1963, he participated in the formation of OAU Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The OAU united all African countries and condemned foreign rule.

Nkrumah wrote a book called Neo-colonialism. In this book he showed how foreign companies and governments were enriching themselves at the expense of African people; and interfering in the affairs of African states.

Nkrumah was a socialist who believed that government was to control every thing in the state. This helped in developing all regions of the country by using the people of Ghana themselves.

He tried to create unity in the country by abolishing all political parties based on tribal basis. This however caused a lot of tension as many people were imprisoned and Nkrumah was accused of being a dictator.

On 24th February 1966, the army and the police with the special advice from the US overthrew Nkrumah. Major Kotoka, General A. Ankrah and Afrifa headed the army coup. This took place while Kwame was in Peking. He had left Accra on 21 February, and was on his way to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam at the invitation of President Ho Chi Minh.  

Kwame Nkrumah the pan Africanist with his Egyptian wife.

After his overthrow, he flew Russia, Algeria then to Guinea where he was made a co‑head of state by President Sekou Toure of Guinea and they led Guinea in conjunction.

He lived in comfort that made him to write books such Autobiography, Conscientism, Dark days in Ghana, Handbook of revolutionary warfare, Class struggle in Africa, Revolutionary path, Rhodesia file, Voice from Conakry among others.

Nkrumah suffered from cancer and was taken to Bucharest, the capital city of Rumania for treatment. He died early in the morning of 27 April 1972 and two days later, his body was flown to Conakry and was given a presidential burial in Guinea. The body was later returned to Ghana in July the same year for burial at his home village at Nkroful.

This marked the end of this Great African who was loved by people from far and hated by his own army and his fellow countrymen. Ali Mazrui referred to him as Africa's Number One but Ghana's number two.

REASONS FOR THE 1966 COUP IN GHANA

This was a coup that led to the overthrow of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah (Dr).  It was carried out by the army led by the general J A Ankrah.  The police assisted him.  Like the 1971 Coup in Uganda, many reasons were given by the army to justify the coup.  Some of the reasons include:

The preventive detention acts which enabled police to arrest and detain any person suspected to be committing crimes against without trial. It was alleged that CPP government of Nkrumah was threatened by the opposition especially the United Party that was led by Dr Kofi Busia.  Many opponents were imprisoned and suffered for long.

He passed the deportation Act thus forcing any government opponent to leave the country to stay in exile.

Nkrumah went a head to sack the Chief Justice Sir Arku Korsah who was accused of acquitting CPP opponents who were on treason trial.

The atrocities and persecution by his intelligence Security agencies and his own guards company.  All these were created to check on his opponents.

Nkrumah had destroyed the democracy he fought for himself for example by banning all the other political parties and making Ghana a single party state was considered dictatorial.

Nkrumah proved to be egoistic i.e personal grandeur looking at himself as the only possessor of wisdom and reducing advice to him by colleagues.

Nkrumah proved too powerful and impossible to be removed from power by constitutional means. For example the General elections had been scheduled for June 1965 but because Nkrumah was afraid that his enemies would win the elections, he simply went to the radio station and announced the names of MPs he had chosen and the areas they would represent. No elections took place.

He had mismanaged the economy with his socialist principles. The state ownership of cocoa plantations was disaster as farmers were poorly paid.

Nkrumah's appointment of socialists in key posts and ideological institutions to promote socialist education was considered very bad.  Politicization centres had been established in different parts of the country.

Nkrumah also appointed his hand picked socialist supporters in key positions in the private sector and civil service.

Creation of state firms (industries) that lacked proper management, skilled labour and raw materials.  This led to state bankruptcy, shortage of essential goods.

There was an allegation that Nkrumah was taking the army to Vietnam and Zimbabwe to fight.

The imperialists hated Nkrumah for being a great critic of neo-colonialism.

There was discontent among the army and the police. The army lacked transport facilities, uniforms, and weapons and was poorly paid.

Like the 1971 coup in Uganda, most of the reasons as given by the National Liberation Council (NLC) were exaggerated. Most of the opponents of Nkrumah were those who failed to get power through elections and they were promoting the views of imperialists who wanted to disorganize Africa. The effect of this coup was to end the path of revolution which Nkrumah had started

The 1966 coup did not solve Ghana's problems.  Ankrah was accused of inefficiency and handed over power to Brig. General Akwasi Afrifa.  Elections were held in 1969. Dr. Busia Koffi of the Progressive Party won and ruled up to 1972.   The third coup occurred, led by Col. Ignitius Acheampong (1972‑1978), Lt. Gen. Frederick Akuffo (1978‑79), Dr Hilla Linann (1979‑1981), Flight Lt. Jerry J Rawlings took over power.

However, what happened in October 1979 was the worst disaster in the history of Ghana. Three former presidents namely A. Afrifa, Frederick Akuffo and Colonel Acheampong were all publically hanged and buried in a shallow grave.

SUMMARY

He was born in 1909 to the Nzima tribe of Ghana, He was one of the greatest leaders Africa has ever produced.

According to the late Kwame Nkrumah, he had Africa at the bottom of his heart other than Ghana. For example before a huge crowd during the attainment of Ghana's independence he assured the world that Ghana's independence was meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of Africa.

He was a teacher and in 1935 left for U.S.A. for further studies after graduation, he lectured at Lincoln University.

During his stay in the United States he was inspired by Marcus Garvey's Philosophy.

In 1945 in London Nkrumah got involved in politics and was elected the Vice President of the West African Student's Union.

He was one of the organizers of the fifth Pan - African Congress of 1955. he had a place to form a mass party organisation and positive action to achieve independence.

In 1942 he returned to Ghana and became the general secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention.

He displayed the radical nature of his leadership which alienated him from the moderate U.G.C C intellectuals.

In 1948 he founded the Accra Evening News and a year later founded the convention people's party (C.P.P.).

In 1950 ha was imprisoned, however, during the 1951 elections he was released following the Victory of C.P.P.

In 1957 Nkrumah led his country to independence. In 1960 Ghana became a Republic with the commonwealth and Nkrumah was unanimously elected the President.

He was overthrown in February 1966, and he flew to Guinea where he became head of State. He died on 27th April 1972.

 

DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, popularly known as "Zik", is the father of modem Nigerian nationalism and chief architect of the country's independence.

He was bom in November 16, 1904 at Zungeru in Northern Nigeria, where his father an lbo was working as a clerk in ihe Nigerian regiment.

He received his education at Hope Waddeli institute. Calabar, and later at the Methodist Boys High School, Lagos.

He worked as a government clerk in the Treasury in Lagos between 1921 and 1925 before leaving for United States for higher education.

With the assistance of public-spirited Americans and wages  earned from doing menial jobs, he went through his studies at Storer college in West Virginia, and at Howard and Lincoln Universities where he read political science.

He later did a postgraduate course at the University of Pennsylvania and lectured in political science at Lincoln University after graduation.

In 1934 he returned to West Africa determined to fight for the emancipation of Africans from colonial rule. His Motto was that Man's inhumanity to Man must cease.5

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was for three years editor of the African Morning Post published in Ghana. Following an alleged seditious article in that paper, he was charged and convicted by the then colonial administration but was acquitted following a successful appeal.

He returned to Nigeria in 1937 and established a chain of newspapers including his own West African pilot magazine in Lagos which influenced West African journalism and gave a new impetus to West African Nationalists.

At the same time he joined the country's only nationalist movement, the Nigerian Youth Movement, and was in the forefront of the agitation for self-rule.

He stimulated and spread racial consciousness and Nation awakening in West Africa.

He pioneered Nationalist Movement in Nigeria and founded the National Council of Nigerians Citizens (N.C.N.C) in1942.

In the 1944, the NCNC fused with the Nigerian National Democratic Party, led by Herbert Macaulay (grandson of the first African Bishop, the Rev. Ajayi Crowther), already a prominent figure in the country.

He was a stronger believer in United Nigeria, Azikiwe fought in 1950 against the separatist tendencies of Action Group and the Northern People's Congress.

His News papers were banned, however, this increased Azikiwe's prestige and popularity.

Later in the N.C.N.C and Action Group supported their own region to a large degree.

Dr. Azikiwe who became chief minister of the Eastern Region criticized attempts to minimize regional powers.

In the 1959 pre independence elections, non of the three political parties- the Northern Peoples Congress, the NCNC, and the Action Group won an absolute majority.

Azikiwe realised that no federal government could be formed without forming a coalition

The Northern Peoples' Congress which had won more seats, and the NCNC, which had the second largest number of seats, decided to form a coalition leaving the Action Group out.

Under an agreement reached between leaders of both parties, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe became Governor General of Nigeria and Sir Abubakar Tafawa became the Prime Minister

When the federation attained independence En 1960 Dr. Azikiwe became the first Africa Governor General and Head of State.

He finally became the President of Nigeria when it became a republic in 1963.

He was removed from power in coup carried out by the army in January 1966. His best friend prime Minister Tafawa was Killed in the process.

ALHAJI SIR ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA

Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was bom in Northern Nigeria, in an area that is predominantly Muslim. He received western education as well as Muslim education.

 In 1949 he founded the Northern people's Party (N.P.P) which dominated political activities in both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.

It was an aristocratic party, dominated by traditional Emirs who desired to preserve their own interest.

Dr. Azikiwe's N.C.N.C slowed down the process of independence in Nigeria.

Balewa had a foresight to see a true nationalistic approach to independence.

To achieve the above he sought co -operation with the South and cooperated with Azikiwe

To this effect a coalition was formed in 1957 between N.C.N.C. and NPP.

When Nigeria attained independence in 1960 Balewa became the first Prime Minister.

Dr Azikiwe became the President but with less powers than Balewa who had all the executive powers,

He did his best to win support of the Southern politicians and was able to rule Nigeria until 1968.

He was killed in a coup carried by the national army in January 1966.

 

 

AHAMED SEKOU TOURE (1922-1984)

He was a West African patriot of Guinea born in 1922 in the area around Conakry.

 His father was a Muslim farmer who belonged to the kinship of the famous Samouri Toure, an important African king who resisted French colonialism.

He had his first education at a koranic institute before he joined Primary education at the age of 14. Being opposed to French colonial policies even at primary level, he was refused to go to secondary level and instead, he went to a French technical school in Conakry.

In 1935, he was expelled for leading a food strike.  After this, he studied privately and did his secondary examination in 1939.

In 1940, Niger Franchaise a business firm where his political career began employed him.

While working with this firm, he showed a great like for labour movements.  He left this firm in the same year (1940) and went to work with the posts and telecommunications where he focused and headed a labour group as its secretary general, which played a major role in uniting all workers' unions in Guinea.  He affiliated these unions to a French Communist Trade Union called (CGT).

In 1946, he was the founder member of the RDA, a party standing for African Democratic Assembly with its headquarters at Bamako in Mali. RDA was an inter territorial political party for all the French speaking West African countries.

In 1950, he became Secretary General of PDG, Democratic Party of Guinea that was part of RDA.

He was elected vice president of RDA in 1952, the position which gave more power to organise his supporters among the people.

In 1953, he organised a serious strike in Guinea by the workers against the French employers. This strike lasted 66 days, as the workers demanded increased wages and short working hours. All these were achieved.

He used the trade union philosophy of workers' solidarity and brotherhood of Islam to unite the masses behind the RGD regardless of race, origin and tribal attachments.

In 1954, he tried to contest for the post of Guinea Deputy (Representative) in the French Assembly but lost to Barry Diawadou.

In 1956, he was elected to the French Parliament as Deputy of Guinea. He also succeeded in forming an independent African trade union called General Confederation of African Workers.  It was later changed to Black African Workers.  In the same year, he was elected mayor of Conakry City.

In 1956 a Referendum was held for the people of Guinea to decide whether to remain under the French or become independent. His campaign slogan was that people of Guinea prefer poverty in liberty to riches in slavery.

In 1957, he became president of the semi‑autonomous territory of Guinea, a position he used to destroy power of the colonial government in the country.

He assured President Charles de Gaulle of France in 1958 that Guinea was to have her independence at any cost. As a result, Guinea was granted full independence outside the Framework of the French community on the 2nd October 1958 with Sekou as its first president.

But having failed to co-operate with the French, president Charles de Gaulle ordered all the French investors, teachers, doctors, instructors in army and police and other workers to leave Guinea with minimum delay. People were left to suffer. Guinea had no trained personnel.

To solve all these problems, Sekou Toure created friendship with Soviet Union and other socialist countries. Aid came from China, Cuba, and Egypt.

In 1958 November, he signed an agreement with the leader of Ghana that led to the formation of Ghana‑Guinea union.

He was among the 32 heads of African states who led to the formation of OAU in 1963 in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. This was to promote unity of all African states.

His early Presidency was notably Leftist as he tried to forge a Socialist revolution through the early years of African independence. As his policies failed, Sékou Toure filled the vacuum with ever increasing centralized rule and social tyranny. By the time of his death in 1984, life expectancy in Guinea dropped to 40 years, business nearly evaporated, Conakry was in a shambles, and the per capita GDP dropped to US$ 290.

He died in 1984 while being operated in a hospital in Cleveland in USA.

Ahamed Sekou toure was a West Africans patriot from Guinea Republic. He struggled for the liberation of his country from the French. He is remembered for his Campaign Slogan of "we prefer poverty in liberty than riches under slavery. He died in 1984

SUMMARY

Sekou was born in 1922, the descendant of the famous Samori Toure.

He was trained in African communist study group as a trade unionist.

He paid a visit to France to attend to a communist trade Union Conference In 1946.

When he returned he organised a strong interterritorial Union movement in French West Africa.

He was a dynamic labour organizer and he proved a threat to the French settlers and French firms.

He was a pi eminent figure in the PDA (African Democratic Rally).

He favoured a federal government at Dakar with certain links with France.

Race for independence split in the RDA Guinea section and called it the Party Democratic Guinean (PDG), he developed it strongly on Marxist lines influenced by trade union movement.

In 1958, General de Gaulle offered the colonies the choice between autonomy (self - government) as individual republics within French Community with extensive aid or immediate independence with no links with France.

Sekou Toure was disappointed by the failure of the federation. He also suspected that the new community proposed by the Gaulle was a disguise.

Toure drove Guinea to independence in 1958 and French equipment were withdrawn Samori! Toure commented," we prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery".

Toure had communist leanings, immediately secured loans and technical aid from

China and Russia, Dr. K. Nkrumah of Ghana offered Toure a large sum of money and the two leaders formed a Ghana - Guinea Union in November 1958.

He made en appreciable contribution to the decolonisation of the French West Africa.

He joined O.A.U in 1963.

Leopold Sedar Senghor

Leopold Sedar Senghor was almost certainly Africa's most scholarly head of state. Known in the French speaking-world as much as a poet and man of letters as a politician.

Leopold Sedar Senghor was bom on October 9,1906 in a coastal village of Dakar. He went to France for higher education

After qualifying he worked as a teacher in France where he came into contact with a number of politicians.

After the Second World War, he returned to Senegal and became a socialist politician.

He was a member the two Constituent Assemblies in France from October 1945 to November also as a Deputy representing Senegal in France's National Assembly.

He founded the Senegalese Democratic Party.

He opposed the RDA which had links with communists.

He was elected a deputy to the French Assembly in Paris and organised all opposition parties of the French West African against the RDA. into a coalition to safeguard African interests.

He fought very hard for the extension of French citizenship to all the people of French West Africa

He also advocated for the abolition of Forced labour.

He believed in the formation of a mass political party to fight the political advance of French West Africa.

On independence in 1960, Senghor became President.

He declared Senegal a one party state when he outlived a coup tried by his Prime Minister (Dia).

Senghor developed the idea of Negritude or Negroness, he described Negritude as the total cultural and political values of African civilisation and of black Africa as a whole.

He organised congresses of African writers and artists.

He resigned from office like Nyerere of Tanzania.

FELIX HOUPHOUET BOIGNY OF IVORY COAST

Felix Houphuet- Boigny, first president of the ivory Coast Republic, led his country to independence on August 7, 1960 after a long and distinguished career in French politics.

Houphuet Boigny was one of the most renowned Statesmen of former French West Africa.

He was born on October 18, 1905, the descendant of a line of traditional tribal chiefs originating in the old Ashanti kingdom.

He studied at Dakar Medical school where he qualified brilliantly as a Medical Assistant.

in 1940, he became chief of his home district and a prosperous cocoa planter in his own right.

Houphuet Boigny developed interest in politics and began his political career when he created the ivory Coast's first Agricultural Union in 1944.

This became as the mouthpiece of Ivory Coast planters demanding better prices for their coffee and cocoa- He was spokesman of a farmer's Association in 1945 he formed the party Democratique de ta cote d'ivoire and soon the ivory Coast became a centre of great anti colonial political activity.

In 1945. Houphuet Boigny was elected to the French Constituent Assembly.

While serving as a Deputy in the French parliament from 1945 to 1949, he was influential in the adoption of the Houphuet Boigny bill which in April 1945 abolished forced labour in the French territories in Africa.

In 1945 he was elected to represent the Ivory Coast in the past war French constituent Assemblies v/which drafted a constitution of the fourth Republic.

In 1945 about 100 delegates from French Equatorial and West Africa attended a conference on Bamako. They joined together to form a single federation wide party. the RDA (Rassemblement Democratique African or African Democratic convention.

By 1950, all meetings of the party were banned and Houphout Boigny was threatened to be arrested.

His anti - colonial turn of mind drove him to ally the RDA with the French communist party.

 Realising this alliance Houphout in 1951 changed tactics.

He broke with the French communist party and began to collaborate with the colonial administration.

By 1956, he had succeeded in rebuilding the shattered RDA which won nine seats in the elections to the French National Assembly.

In November 1956, he became mayor of Abidjan, as a result of his own personal influence b the coioniai politics, the French government made him a minister in the French cabinet.

As a member of French government, he was instrumental in the preparation of the Loi Cadre (outline law) of 1956 under the above law, France kept control of foreign policy, defence and overall economic development.

Houphout wanted each colony to govern and develop itself while remaining within the French community.

He was opposed to the grand political Union of African states as advocated by African Nationalists like Nkrumah.

He believed that a union of poor countries would not make any one to them rich.

He held an argument that the problem of economic poverty could be solved by aid from rich nations.

He did not adopt socialism like other states, he believed in liberal economy under which Ivory coast progressed and prospered rapidly and true to speak its wealth was founded on French financial aid and skilled French personal.

In 1958 Charles de Gaulle, the leader of France set up a process of granting independence to the colonies, when this was granted in 1960, Houphout Boigny became its President.

He held ail power in the National Assembly in the Civil service and over the army.

He was model ate in his foreign policy and worked for the closer co-operation with the Neighbouring countries, he Joined the O.A.U in 1963.

AMILCAR CABRAL (1924-1973) IN GUINEA BISSAU

Amilcar Cabral was bom on September 12, 1924 in Bafata in Guinea-Bissau) of Cape Verdean father Juvenal Cabral and Guinean mother Iva Pinhel Evora.

He was an assimilado-educated and assimilated black man. He started school in Bissau and later went to Lisbon University in Portugal from where he qualified as an agronomistw.

As an agronomist in Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde, he traversed the whole of Guinea carrying out an agricultural Research for the colonial government.

1956, September 19 - Founded the PAIGC in Bissau, with Louis Cabral, Aristides Pereira, Rafae! Barbosa and two other compatriots.

Amilcar Cabral started his armed struggle against the Portuguese regime in 1963 after working as an agricultural officer for the UN.

This same year, while in Angola, Cabral became cofounder of the MPLA (Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola) with Dr. Agostinho Neto and others.

In 1965, Amilcar Cabral wrote "As palavras da Ordem" a document delineating the

norms to be followed by the party in the revolutionary struggle and in all its activities.

He was encouraged and inspired by the liberation struggles in other colonies. He got support from Sekou Toure and by the early 1970s; the country was controlled by the guerillas.

He was popular among the peasants and this explains why he got a lot of support from them. They provided food and information to the fighters.

Between 1963 and 1969 - Addressed the Commission of Human Rights at the UN, relating the suffering of the people of CV and Guinea under the colonial Portuguese regime,

1970, February at the Conference in Rome of "Solidarity for the people of the Portuguese colonies". Pope Paulo VI received Cabral together with the leaders of the parties, the liberation of the colonies namely, MPLA, FRELIMO and, PAIGC.

1970, February he was invited to Syracuse University (USA) to participate in a conference honoring the memory of Dr. Eduardo Mondlane former president of FREMOLI

FRELIMO, who had been assassinated in February 1969, The theme of the conference was "National and Cultural Liberation".

 In April 1971, at a Press Conference in Stockholm, Cabral denounced the situation of hunger in Cape Verde and the continued complacency and inaction of the colonial Portuguese regime.

1972, October - During the 4th Commission of the General Assembly of the UN, in the name of the peoples of Guinea and Cape Verde, Cabral is the first representative of a people involved in armed struggle to be given the privilege of addressing the assembly as an observer.

In 1972 elections were held in guerrilla-controlled areas, organized by the PAIGC under the Cabral.

In Sept. 1973, the National Assembly of Guinea-Bissau declared independence under Cabral.

 Cabral immediately received support from majority of member states of the UN. United Nations recognised Guinea as a sovereign state.

Portugal at the time had domestic problems and had to leave Guinea, hence it was forced to offer independence to Guinea-Bissau.

The celebrated liberation war leader however did not live to see an independent Guinea-Bissau. The Portuguese agents assassinated him on January 20th 1973, Conakry.

Cabral was replaced by his brother Louis as a leader of PAIGC and later president of that country,

Cabrai is survived by his three children from his second wife, Cape Verdean Ana Maria Cabral. His first wife was Portuguese, Maria Helena Rodrigues.

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5 Sidney Taylor, The new Africans, a Guide to the contemporary history of emergent Africa and its leaders

 

w An Agronomist is a scientist concerned with relationship between crops and the environment