Mozambican War of Independence The Mozambican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front or FRELIMO ( Frente de Libertação de Moçambique ) , and Portugal . The war officially started on September 25 , 1964 , and ended with a cease fire on September 8 , 1974 , resulting in a negotiated independence in 1975 . Portugal ' s wars against independence guerrilla fighters in its 400 - year - old African territories began in 1961 with Angola . In Mozambique , the conflict erupted in 1964 as a result of unrest and frustration amongst many indigenous Mozambican populations , who perceived foreign rule to be a form of exploitation and mistreatment , which served only to further Portuguese economic interests in the region . Many Mozambicans also resented Portugal ' s policies towards indigenous people , which resulted in discrimination , traditional lifestyle turning difficult for many African indigenes , and limited access to Portuguese - style education and skilled employment . As successful self - determination movements spread throughout Africa after World War II , many Mozambicans became progressively nationalistic in outlook , and increasingly frustrated by the nation ' s continued subservience to foreign rule . For the other side , many enculturate d indigenous Africans who were fully integrated into the Portugal - ruled social organization of Portuguese Mozambique , in particular those from the urban centers , reacted to the independentist claims with a mix of discomfort and suspicion . The ethnic Portuguese of the territory , which included most of the ruling authorities , responded with increased military presence and fast - paced development projects . A mass exile of Mozambique ' s political intelligentsia to neighbouring countries provided havens from which radical Mozambicans could plan actions and foment political unrest in their homeland . The formation of the Mozambican guerrilla organisation FRELIMO and the support of the Soviet Union , China , Cuba , Yugoslavia , Bulgaria , Tanzania , Zambia through arms and advisors , led to the outbreak of violence that was to last over a decade . From a military standpoint , the Portuguese regular army held the upper hand during all the conflict against the independentist guerrilla forces . Nonetheless , Mozambique succeeded in achieving independence on June 25 , 1975 , after the coup d ' état in Portugal known as the Carnation Revolution , thus ending 470 years of Portuguese colonial rule in the East African region . According to historians of the Revolution , the military coup in Portugal was in part fuelled by protests concerning the conduct of Portuguese troops in their treatment of some local Mozambican populace . However , the role of the growing communist influence over the group of Portuguese military insurgents who led the Lisbon ' s military coup , and , on the other hand , the pressure of the international community over the direction of the Portuguese Colonial War in general , were main causes for the final outcome . Background to the conflict . A Portuguese colony . San hunter and gatherers , ancestors of the Khoisani peoples , were the first known inhabitants of the region that is now Mozambique , followed in the 1st and 4th centuries by Bantu - speaking peoples who migrated there across the Zambezi River . In 1498 , Portuguese explorers landed on the Mozambican coastline . Portugal ' s influence in East Africa grew throughout the 16th century ; she established a number of colonies known collectively as Portuguese East Africa . Slavery and gold became profitable for the Europeans ; however , influence was largely exercised through individual settlers and there was no centralised administration and , in the meantime , Portugal had turned her attention to India and Brazil . By the 19th century , European colonialism in Africa had reached its height . Having lost control of the vast territory of Brazil in South America , the Portuguese began to focus on expanding their African outposts . This brought them into direct conflict with the British . Since David Livingstone had returned to the area in 1858 in an attempt to foster trade routes , British interest in Mozambique had risen , alarming the Portuguese government . During the 19th century , much of Eastern Africa was still being brought under British control , and in order to facilitate this , Britain required several concessions from the Portuguese colony . As a result , in an attempt to avoid a naval conflict with the superior British Royal Navy , Portugal adjusted the borders of her colony and the modern borders of Mozambique were established in May 1881 . Control of Mozambique was left to various organisations such as the Mozambique Company , the Zambezi Company and the Niassa Company which were financed and provided with cheap labour by the British Empire to work mines and construct railways . These companies penetrated inland from the coastline , setting up plantations and taxing the local populace who had until then resisted encroachment by the colonists . The resisting Gaza Empire , a collection of indigenous tribes who inhabited the area that now constitutes Mozambique and Zimbabwe , was defeated in 1895 , and the remaining inland tribes were eventually defeated by 1902 ; in that same year , Portugal established Lourenço Marques as the capital . In 1926 , political and economic crisis in Portugal led to the establishment of the Second Republic ( later to become the Estado Novo ) , and a revival of interest in the African colonies . Calls for self determination in Mozambique arose shortly after World War II , in light of the independence granted to many other colonies worldwide in the great wave of decolonisation . Rise of FRELIMO . Portugal designated Mozambique an overseas territory in 1951 in order to show to the world that the colony had a greater autonomy . It was called the Overseas Province of Mozambique ( " Província Ultramarina de Moçambique " ) . Nonetheless , Portugal still maintained strong control over its overseas province . The increasing number of newly independent African nations after World War II , coupled with the ongoing mistreatment of the indigenous population encouraged the growth of nationalist sentiments within Mozambique . Mozambique was marked by large disparities between the wealthy Portuguese and the majority of the large rural indigenous African population . Being largely illiterate and preserving their local traditions and ways of life , skilled employment opportunities and roles in administration and government were rare for these numerous tribal populations , leaving them few or no opportunities in the urban modern life . However , many indigenous peoples saw their culture and tradition being overwhelmed by the alien culture of Portugal . Vocal political dissidents opposed to Portuguese rule and claiming independence were typically forced into exile . The Portuguese government forced the Mozambican farmers to grow rice or cotton for export , providing little return with which the farmers could support themselves . Many other workers — over 250 , 000 by 1960 — were sent to diamond or gold mines . By 1950 , only 4 , 353 Mozambicans out of 5 , 733 , 000 had been granted the right to vote by the Portuguese colonial government . The rift between Portuguese settlers and Mozambican locals is illustrated in one way by the small number of individuals with mixed Portuguese and Mozambican heritage ( " mestiço " ) , numbering a mere 31 , 465 in a population of 8 – 10 million in 1960 according to that year ' s census . The Marxist - Leninist Mozambique Liberation Front or FRELIMO ( " Frente de Libertação de Moçambique " ) was formed in Dar es Salaam , the largest city in neighbouring Tanzania , on June 25 , 1962 . It was created during a conference , by a number of political figures that had been forced into exile , by the merging of various existing nationalist groups , including the Mozambican African National Union , National African Union of Independent Mozambique and the National Democratic Union of Mozambique which had been formed two years earlier . It was only in exile that such political movements could develop , due to the strength of Portugal ' s grip on dissident activity within Mozambique itself . A year later , in 1963 , FRELIMO set up headquarters in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania , under the leadership of sociologist Eduardo Mondlane , and began to call for independence from Portugal . After two years of organisation and failing political manoeuvres in an attempt to seek a peaceful independence , Mondlane began in 1964 a campaign of guerrilla warfare in an attempt to achieve independence for Mozambique . Originally , the United States offered support to the nationalist groups in Africa . This support was ostensibly in keeping with Wilsonian principles , which advocated self - determination and independence for colonised nations . The United Nations also put pressure on Portugal to move for decolonisation Portugal , however , threatening to withdraw from NATO , put a stop to this support and pressure , and the nationalist groups in Mozambique were forced to turn to help from the Soviet bloc . Support from the Soviet Union . During the Cold War , and , in particular , in the late 1950s , the Soviet Union and People ' s Republic of China adopted a strategy of destabilisation of Western powers by disruption of their hold on African colonies . Nikita Khrushchev , in particular , viewed the ' underdeveloped third of mankind ' as a means to weaken the West . For the Soviets , Africa represented a chance to create a rift between western powers and their colonial assets , and create pro - communist states in Africa with which to foster future relations . Prior to the formation of FRELIMO , the Soviet position regarding the nationalist movements in Mozambique was one of confusion . There were multiple independence movements , and they had no sure knowledge that any would succeed . The nationalist groups in Mozambique , like those across Africa during the period , received training and equipment from the Soviet Union . Eduardo Mondlane ' s successor , future President of Mozambique , Samora Machel , acknowledged assistance from both Moscow and Peking , describing them as " the only ones who will really help us . … They have fought armed struggles , and whatever they have learned that is relevant to Mozambique we will use . " Guerrillas received tuition in subversion and political warfare as well as military aid , specifically shipments of 122 mm artillery rockets in 1972 , with 1600 advisors from Russia , Cuba and East Germany . The Soviet Union continued to support the new FRELIMO government against counterrevolution in the years after 1975 . By 1981 , there were 230 Soviet and 800 Cuban military advisers still in the country . Cuba ' s involvement in Mozambique was as part of a continuing effort to export the anti - imperialist ideology of the Cuban Revolution and forge desperately needed new allies . Cuba provided support to liberation movements and leftist governments in numerous African countries , including Angola , Ethiopia , Guinea - Bissau and Congo - Brazzaville . Conflict . Insurgency under Mondlane ( 1964 – 69 ) . At the war ' s outset , FRELIMO had little hope for a conventional military victory , with a mere 7000 combatants against a far larger Portuguese force . Their hopes rested on urging the local populace to support the insurgency , in order to force a negotiated independence from Lisbon . Portugal fought its own version of protracted warfare , and a large military force was sent by the Portuguese government to quell the unrest , with troop numbers rising from 8 , 000 to 24 , 000 between 1964 and 1967 . The number of local soldiers recruited for the Portuguese cause rose to 23 , 000 in the same period . 860 Special Forces operatives were also being trained in Commando Instruction Centres by 1969 . The military wing of FRELIMO was commanded by Filipe Samuel Magaia , whose forces received training from Algeria . The FRELIMO guerrillas were armed with a variety of weapons , many provided by the Soviet Union and China . Common weapons included the Mosin - Nagant bolt - action rifle , SKS and AK47 automatic rifles and the Soviet PPSh - 41 . Machine guns such as the Degtyarev light machine gun were widely used , along with the DShK and the SG - 43 Gorunov . FRELIMO were supported by mortars , recoilless rifle s , RPG - 2 s and RPG - 7 s , Anti - aircraft weapons such as the ZPU - 4 and from 1974 the Strela 2 . In the dying stages of the conflict , FRELIMO would be provided with a limited number of SA - 7 MANPAD Shoulder - launched missile launchers from China ; however , these would never shoot down a Portuguese plane . Only one Portuguese aircraft was lost in combat during the conflict , when Lt . Emilio Lourenço ' s G . 91R - 4 was destroyed by premature detonation of his own ordnance . The Portuguese forces , in contrast , were under the command of General António Augusto dos Santos , a man with strong faith in new counter - insurgency theories . Augusto dos Santos supported a collaboration with Rhodesia to create African Scout units and other special forces teams , with Rhodesian forces even conducting their own independent operations during the conflict . Due to Portuguese policy of retaining up - to - date equipment for the metropole while shipping obsolete equipment to the colonies , the Portuguese soldiers fighting in the opening stages of the conflict were equipped with World War II radios and the old Mauser rifle . As the fighting progressed , the need for more modern equipment was rapidly recognised , and the Heckler & Koch G3 and FN FAL rifles were adopted as the standard battlefield weapon , along with the AR - 10 for paratroopers . The MG42 and , then in 1968 , the HK21 were the Portuguese general purpose machine guns , with 60 , 81 and 120 mm mortars , howitzers and the AML - 60 , Panhard EBR , Fox and Chaimite armoured cars frequently deployed for fire support . Although helicopters were not used in Mozambique to the same extent as they were in Vietnam , the Alouette III was the most widely used , although the Puma was also used with great success . Other aircraft were employed : for air support the T6 and the Fiat G . 91 were used ; for reconnaissance , the Dornier Do 27 . In the transport role , the Portuguese Air Force used mainly the Nord Noratlas and the C - 47 . The Portuguese Navy also made extensive use of patrol boats , landing craft s , and inflatable Zodiacs . Start of FRELIMO attacks . In 1964 , weak - hearted attempts at peaceful negotiation by FRELIMO were abandoned and , on September 25 , 1964 , Eduardo Mondlane began to launch guerrilla attacks on targets in northern Mozambique from his base in Tanzania . FRELIMO soldiers , with logistical assistance from the local population , attacked the administrative post at Chai Chai in the province of Cabo Delgado . FRELIMO militants were able to evade pursuit and surveillance by employing classic guerrilla tactics : ambushing patrols , sabotaging communication and railroad lines , and making hit - and - run attacks against colonial outposts before rapidly fading into accessible backwater areas . The insurgents were typically armed with rifles and machine pistols , and the attackers took full advantage of the monsoon season in order to evade pursuit . During heavy rains , it was much more difficult to track insurgents by air , negating Portugal ' s air superiority , and Portuguese troops and vehicles found movement during rain storms difficult . In contrast , the insurgent troops , with lighter equipment , were able to flee into the bush ( the " mato " ) amongst an ethnically similar populace into which they could melt away . Furthermore , the FRELIMO forces were able to forage food from the surroundings and local villages , and were thus not hampered by long supply lines . With the initial FRELIMO attacks in Chai Chai , the fighting spread to Niassa and Tete at the centre of Mozambique . During the early stages of the conflict , FRELIMO activity was reduced to small , platoon - sized engagements , harassments and raids on Portuguese installations . The FRELIMO soldiers often operated in small groups of ten to fifteen soldiers . The scattered nature of FRELIMO ' s initial attacks was an attempt to disperse the Portuguese forces . The Portuguese troops began to suffer losses in November , fighting in the northern region of Xilama . With increasing support from the populace , and the low number of Portuguese regular troops , FRELIMO was quickly able to advance south towards Meponda and Mandimba , linking to Tete with the aid of forces from the neighbouring Republic of Malawi , which had become a fully independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on July 6 , 1964 . Despite the increasing range of FRELIMO operations , attacks were still limited to small strike teams attacking lightly defended administrative outposts , with the FRELIMO lines of communication and supply utilising canoes along the Ruvuma River and Lake Malawi . It was not until 1965 that recruitment of fighters increased along with popular support , and the strike teams were able to increase in size . The increase in popular support was in part due to FRELIMO agencies ' offer of help to exiled Mozambicans , who had fled the conflict by travelling to nearby Tanzania . Like similar conflicts against the French and United States forces in Vietnam , the insurgents also used landmine s to a great extent to injure the Portuguese forces , thus straining the armed forces ' infrastructure and demoralising soldiers . FRELIMO attack groups had also begun to grow in size to include over 100 soldiers in certain cases , and the insurgents also began to accept women fighters into their ranks . On either October 10 or October 11 , 1966 , on returning to Tanzania after inspecting the front lines , Filipe Samuel Magaia was shot dead by Lourenço Matola , a fellow FRELIMO guerrilla who was said to be in the employ of the Portuguese . One seventh of the population and one fifth of the territory were in FRELIMO hands by 1967 ; at this time there were approximately 8000 guerrilla s in combat . During this period , Mondlane urged further expansion of the war effort , but also sought to retain the small strike groups . With the increasing cost of supply , more and more territory liberated from the Portuguese , and the adoption of measures to win the support of the population , it was at this time that Mondlane sought assistance from abroad , specifically the Soviet Union and China ; from these benefactors , he obtained large - calibre machine guns , anti - aircraft rifles and 75 mm recoilless rifles and 122 mm rockets . In 1968 , the second Congress of FRELIMO was a propaganda victory for the insurgents , despite attempts by the Portuguese , who enjoyed air superiority throughout the conflict , to bomb the location of the meeting late in the day . This gave FRELIMO further weight to wield in the United Nations . Portuguese development program . Due to both the technological gap between civilisations and the centuries - long colonial era , Portugal was a driving force in the development and shaping of all Portuguese Africa since the 15th century . In the 1960s and early 1970s , to counter the increasing insurgency of FRELIMO forces and show to the Portuguese people and the world that the territory was totally under control , the Portuguese government accelerated its major development program to expand and upgrade the infrastructure of Portuguese Mozambique by creating new roads , railways , bridges , dams , irrigation systems , schools and hospitals to stimulate an even higher level of economic growth and support from the populace . As part of this redevelopment program , construction of the Cahora Bassa Dam began in 1969 . This particular project became intrinsically linked with Portugal ' s concerns over security in the overseas colonies . The Portuguese government viewed the construction of the dam as testimony to Portugal ' s " civilising mission " and intended for the dam to reaffirm Mozambican belief in the strength and security of the Portuguese colonial government . To this end , Portugal sent three thousand new troops and over one million landmines to Mozambique to defend the building project . Realising the symbolic significance of the dam to the Portuguese , FRELIMO proceeded to spend seven years attempting to halt its construction by force . No direct attacks were ever successful , but FRELIMO had some success in attacking convoys " en route " to the site . FRELIMO also lodged a protest with the United Nations about the project , and their cause was aided by negative reports of Portuguese actions in Mozambique . In spite of the subsequent withdrawal of much foreign financial support for the dam , it was finally completed in December 1974 . The dam ' s intended propaganda value to the Portuguese was overshadowed by the adverse Mozambican public reaction to the extensive dispersal of the indigenous populace , who were forced to relocate from their homes to allow for the construction project . The dam also deprived farmers of the critical annual floods , which would otherwise re - fertilise the plantations . Assassination of Eduardo Mondlane . On February 3 , 1969 , Eduardo Mondlane was killed by explosives smuggled into his locale . Many sources state that , in an attempt to rectify the situation in Mozambique , the Portuguese secret police assassinated Mondlane by sending a parcel to his office in Dar es Salaam . Inside the parcel was a book containing an explosive device , which detonated upon opening . Other sources state that Eduardo was killed when an explosive device detonated underneath his chair at the FRELIMO headquarters , and that the faction responsible was never identified . The original investigations levelled accusations at Silverio Nungo ( who was later executed ) and Lazaro Kavandame , FRELIMO leader in Cabo Delgado . The latter had made no secret of his distrust of Mondlane , seeing him as too conservative a leader , and the Tanzanian police also accused him of working with PIDE ( Portugal ' s secret police ) to assassinate Mondlane . Kavandame himself surrendered to the Portuguese in April of that year . Although the exact details of the assassination remain disputed , the involvement of the Portuguese government , particularly Aginter Press or PIDE , is generally accepted by most historians and biographers and is supported by the Portuguese stay behind Gladio - esque army , known as Aginter Press , that suggested in 1990 that they were responsible for the assassination . Initially , however , due to the uncertainty regarding who was responsible , Mondlane ' s death did create great suspicion within the ranks of the FRELIMO itself and a short power struggle which resulted in a dramatic swing to the political left . Mondlane ' s immediate successor was , in fact , the moderate Rev . Uria Simango , who had served under him , as FRELIMO ' s vice - President , from its formation until 1969 . In the post - assassination power - struggle , Simango was ousted by the more hardline Samora Machel and Marcelino dos Santos , expelled from FRELIMO and eventually arrested and executed , post - Independence , in 1975 . Continuing war ( 1969 – 74 ) . In 1969 , General António Augusto dos Santos was relieved of command , with General Kaúlza de Arriaga taking over officially in March 1970 . Kaúlza de Arriaga favoured a more direct method of fighting the insurgents , and the established policy of using African counter - insurgency forces was rejected in favour of the deployment of regular Portuguese forces accompanied by a small number of African fighters . Indigenous personnel were still recruited for special operations , such as the Special Groups of Parachutists in 1973 , though their role less significant under the new commander . His tactics were partially influenced by a meeting with United States General William Westmoreland . By 1972 , however , there was growing pressure from other commanders , particularly Kaúlza de Arriaga ' s second in command , General Francisco da Costa Gomes , for the use of African soldiers in " Flechas " units . Flechas units ( " Arrows " ) were also employed in Angola and were units under the command of the Portuguese PIDE . Composed of local tribesmen , the units specialised in tracking , reconnaissance and anti - terrorist operations . Costa Gomes argued that African soldiers were cheaper and were better able to create a relationship with the local populace , a tactic similar to the ' hearts and minds ' strategy being used by United States forces in Vietnam at the time . These Flechas units saw action in the territory at the very end stages of the conflict , following the dismissal of Kaúlza de Arriaga on the eve of the Portuguese coup in 1974 – the Carnation Revolution . The units were to continue to cause problems for the FRELIMO even after the Revolution and Portuguese withdrawal , when the country splintered into civil war . There were , in fact , a number of Portuguese special forces units that were unique to either the Mozambican conflict or the Portuguese Colonial War as a whole : During the entire period of 1970 – 1974 , FRELIMO intensified guerrilla operations , specialising in urban terrorism . The use of landmines also intensified , with sources stating that they had become responsible for two out of every three Portuguese casualties . During the conflict , FRELIMO used a variety of anti - tank and anti - personnel mines , including the PMN ( Black Widow ) , TM - 46 , and POMZ . Even amphibious mines were used , such as the PDM . Mine psychosis , an acute fear of landmines , was rampant in the Portuguese forces . This fear , coupled with the frustration of taking casualties without ever seeing the enemy forces , damaged morale and significantly hampered progress . Portuguese counter - offensive ( June 1970 ) . On June 10 , 1970 , a major counter - offensive was launched by the Portuguese army . The Gordian Knot Operation ( Portuguese : Operação Nó Górdio ) targeted permanent insurgent camps and the infiltration routes across the Tanzanian border in the north of Mozambique over a period of seven months . The operation involved some 35 , 000 Portuguese troops , particularly elite units like paratroopers , commandos , marines and naval fusiliers . The Portuguese had excellent coordination between light bombers , helicopters and reinforced ground patrols . They utilised American tactics of quick airborne ( helibourne ) assaults supported by heavy aerial bombardments of FRELIMO camps by the Portuguese Air Force ( Força Aérea Portuguesa or FAP ) to surround and eliminate the guerrillas . These bombardments were accompanied by the use of heavy artillery . The Portuguese also used cavalry units to cover the flanks of patrols and where the terrain was too difficult to motor transport , and units of captured or deserted guerrillas to penetrate their former bases . Problems for the Portuguese arose almost immediately when the offensive coincided with the beginning of the monsoon season , creating additional logistical difficulties . Not only were the Portuguese soldiers badly equipped , but there was very poor cooperation , if any at all , between the FAP and the army . Thus , the army lacked close air support from the FAP . Mounting Portuguese casualties began to outweigh FRELIMO casualties , leading to further political intervention from Lisbon . The Portuguese eventually reported 651 as killed ( a figure of some 440 was most likely closer to reality ) , and 1 , 840 captured , for the loss of 132 Portuguese . Gen . Arriaga also claimed his troops to have destroyed 61 guerrilla bases and 165 camps , while 40 tons of ammunition had been captured in the first two months . Although " Gordian Knot " was to remain the most effective Portuguese offensive of the conflict , weakening guerrillas to such a degree that they would no longer be a significant threat , the operation was still deemed a failure by some military officers and the government . By 1972 , the Portuguese military had changed its strategy , adapting the British / American search and destroy operations utilising small shock troop sweeps . They also initiated a hearts and minds campaign , named the Aldeamentos Programme , which was a forced relocation program . But on November 9 , 1972 , FRELIMO – not numbering more than 8 , 000 fighters – launched a large offensive in Tete Province . The response from the Portuguese military was fierce , leading to reprisal attacks in an attempt to unbalance the local population ' s continuing faith in FRELIMO . On December 16 , 1972 , the Portuguese 6th company of Commandos in Mozambique killed the inhabitants of the village of Wiriyamu , in the district of Tete . Referred to as the ' Wiriyamu Massacre ' , the soldiers killed between 150 ( according to the Red Cross ) and 300 ( according to a much later investigation by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso based in testimonies from soldiers ) villagers accused of sheltering FRELIMO guerrillas . The action , " Operation Marosca " , was planned at the instigation of PIDE / DGS agents and guided by agent Chico Kachavi , who was later assassinated while an inquiry into the events was being carried out . The soldiers were told by this agent that " the orders were to kill them all " , never mind that only civilians , women and children included , were found . All of the victims were civilians . The massacre was recounted in July 1973 by the British Catholic priest , Father Adrian Hastings , and two other Spanish missionary priests . However , later counter - claims have been made in a report of Archbishop of Dar es Salaam Laurean Rugambwa that alleged that the killings were carried out by FRELIMO combatants , not Portuguese forces . In addition , others claimed that the alleged massacres by Portuguese military forces were fabricated to tar the reputation of the Portuguese state abroad . Portuguese journalist Felícia Cabrita reconstructed the Wiriyamu massacre in detail by interviewing both survivors and former members of the Portuguese Army Commandos unit that carried out the massacre . Cabrita ' s report was published in the Portuguese weekly newspaper " Expresso " and later in a book containing several of the journalist ' s articles . By 1973 , FRELIMO were also mining civilian towns and villages in an attempt to undermine the civilian confidence in the Portuguese forces . " Aldeamentos : agua para todos " ( Resettlement villages : water for everyone ) was a commonly seen message in the rural areas , as the Portuguese sought to relocate and resettle the indigenous population , in order to isolate the FRELIMO from its civilian base . Conversely , Mondlane ' s policy of mercy towards civilian Portuguese settlers was abandoned in 1973 by the new commander , Machel . " Panic , demoralisation , abandonment , and a sense of futility – all were reactions among whites in Mozambique " stated conflict historian T . H . Henricksen in 1983 . This change in tactic led to protests by Portuguese settlers against the Lisbon government , a telltale sign of the conflict ' s unpopularity . Combined with the news of the Wiriyamu massacre and that of renewed FRELIMO onslaughts through 1973 and early 1974 , the worsening situation in Mozambique would later contribute to the downfall of the Portuguese government in 1974 . A Portuguese journalist argued : Political instability and ceasefire ( 1974 – 75 ) . Back in Lisbon , the ' Armed Revolutionary Action ' branch of the Portuguese Communist Party , which was created in the late 1960s , and the Revolutionary Brigades ( BR ) , a left - wing organisation , worked to resist the colonial wars . They had carried out multiple sabotages and bombings against military targets , such as the attack on the Tancos air base that destroyed several helicopters on March 8 , 1971 , and the attack on the NATO headquarters at Oeiras in October of the same year . The attack on the Portuguese ship " Niassa " illustrated the role of the colonial wars in this unrest . " Niassa " ( named after a Mozambican province ) was preparing to leave Lisbon with troops to be deployed in Guinea . By the time of the Carnation Revolution , 100 , 000 draft dodgers had been recorded . Fighting colonial wars in Portuguese colonies had absorbed forty - four percent of the overall Portuguese budget . This led to an obvious diversion of funds from necessary infrastructural developments in Portugal itself . This contributed to the growing unrest in the European nation . However , Portugal ' s GDP growth during the colonial war period ( 1961 – 1974 ) , was strong and reached a 6 % rate ( a percentual GDP growth which weren ' t achieved in any other comparable period after 1974 ) . The African overseas provinces of Portugal ' s GDP growth was also widely notable and the construction of infrastructure were at a record high during the war . The unpopularity of the Colonial Wars among many Portuguese led to the formation of several magazines and newspapers , such as " Cadernos Circunstância " , " Cadernos Necessários " , " Tempo e Modo " , and " Polémica " , which had university support and called for political solutions to Portugal ' s colonial problems . The growing unrest in Portugal culminated on April 25 , 1974 , when the Carnation Revolution , a peaceful leftist military " coup d ' état " in Lisbon , ousted the incumbent Portuguese government of Marcelo Caetano . Thousands of Portuguese citizens left Mozambique , and the new head of government , General António de Spínola , called for a ceasefire . With the change of government in Lisbon , many soldiers refused to continue fighting , often remaining in their barracks instead of going on patrol . Negotiations between the Portuguese administration culminated in the Lusaka Accord signed on September 7 , 1974 , which provided for a complete hand - over of power to FRELIMO , uncontested by elections . Formal independence was set for June 25 , 1975 , the 13th anniversary of the founding of FRELIMO . The aftermath . Many Portuguese colonials were not typical settlers in Mozambique . While most European communities in Africa at the time - with the possible exception of Afrikaner s - were established from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries , some white families and institutions in those territories still administered by Portugal had been entrenched for generations . Loss of their privileged status and fears of FRELIMO reprisal resulted in an exodus of up to 200 , 000 white civilians at independence ( in Europe they were popularly known as " retornados " ) . Cities , towns and villages saw their Portuguese names changed after independence - Lourenço Marques to Maputo , Vila Pery to Chimoio , Vila Cabral to Lichinga , or Vila Junqueiro to Gurúè . With the departure of Portuguese professionals and tradesmen , the new country had no senior workforce to maintain its infrastructure , and economic collapse loomed . Privileged commercial links were established with several communist countries by the FRELIMO regime at the expense of NATO , which rapidly lost influence in the region . Samora Machel became Mozambique ' s first president . The Reverend Uria Simango , his wife , and other FRELIMO dissidents were arrested in 1975 and detained without trial . Within about two years , fighting resumed with the Mozambican Civil War against RENAMO insurgents plied with Rhodesian and South African military support . Industrial and social recession , Marxist - style totalitarianism , corruption , poverty , inequality and failed central planning eroded the initial revolutionary fervour . Peace returned only in 1992 , when the nation achieved relative stability for the first time in several decades .