Amílcar Cabral

**Amílcar Lopes Cabral** (Portuguese: [ɐˈmilkaɾ ˈlɔpɨʃ kɐˈbɾal]; 12 September 1924 – 20 January 1973) na he be a Bissau-Guinean den Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, political organizer, den diplomat. Na he be one of Africa ein foremost anti-colonial leaders. Na he sana be a pan-Africanist den intellectual nationalist revolutionary poet.

He sana be known by de *nom de guerre* **Abel Djassi**, na he lead de nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau den de Cape Verde Islands den de ensuing war of independence insyd Guinea-Bissau.

Dem shoot Cabral on 20 January 1973, about eight months before Guinea-Bissau ein unilateral declaration of independence. Na he be deeply influenced by Marxism, becoming an inspiration to revolutionary socialists den national independence movements worldwide.

## Early life den education

Na dem born Amílcar Lopes Cabral on 12 September 1924. Na dem born am insyd de town of Bafatá, Portuguese Guinea (wey locate insyd modern-day Guinea-Bissau) to Cape Verdean parents, Juvenal António Lopes da Costa Cabral den Iva Pinhel Évora, na both dey hail from Santiago. Na ein poppie cam from a wealthy land-owning family. Na ein mommie be a shop owner den hotel worker wey work hard make she support ein family, especially after she separate from Amílcar ein poppie by 1929. Na ein family no be well off, so na she be unable to pursue higher education.

Na Amílcar Cabral be educated at Liceu Secondary School Gil Eanes insyd de town of Mindelo, Cape Verde. Na he be later educated at de Instituto Superior de Agronomia insyd Lisbon, Portugal. While na he be agronomy student insyd Lisbon, he found student movements wey he dedicate to opposing de ruling dictatorship of Portugal den dey promote de cause of independence for de Portuguese colonies insyd Africa. 

## Career
While back insyd Africa, starting insyd 1953, na he conduct an agricultural census insyd Portuguese Guinea insyd wey he go travel more dan 60,000 kilometers. Na dis allow am make he “become intimately familiar plus de people den land” of Portuguese Guinea, understanding dat na undoubtedly be helpful insyd de guerrilla war na he go go on make he fight. Na he return to Africa insyd de 1950s from Portugal wey be instrumental insyd promoting de independence causes of de then Portuguese colonies. Insyd 1956, na he be de founder of de PAIGC or *Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde* (African Party for de Independence of Guinea den Cape Verde). Na he sana be one of de founding members of Movimento Popular Libertação de Angola (MPLA) later insyd de same year, togeda plus Agostinho Neto, wey na he meet insyd Portugal, den oda Angolan nationalists. Na Cabral be an asset of de Czechoslovak State Security (StB), wey he be under de codename "Secretary" provided intelligence information to de StB.  

### Guerrilla war for independence
Further information: Guinea-Bissau War of Independence

From 1963 to ein assassination insyd 1973, na Cabral lead de PAIGC ein guerrilla movement insyd Portuguese Guinea against de Portuguese government, wich na evolve into one of de most successful wars of independence insyd modern African history. Na de goal of de conflict be make dem attain independence for both Portuguese Guinea den Cape Verde. Over de course of de conflict, as na de movement capture territory from de Portuguese, Cabral cam turn de *de facto* leader of a large portion of wat cam turn Guinea-Bissau.

Insyd preparation for de independence war, na Cabral set up training camps insyd Ghana plus de permission of Kwame Nkrumah. Na Cabral train ein lieutenants thru various techniques, wey include mock conversations make dem provide dem plus effective communication skills make e aid dema efforts insyd mobilizing Guinean traditional leaders to support de PAIGC. Na Cabral realize dat dem fi sustain de war effort only if he fi feed den teach ein troops live off de land, alongside de larger populace. Na he be an agronomist, he train ein troops to teach local farmers better farming techniques. Na dis be to ensure say dem gi increase productivity den be able to feed dema own family den community, as well as de soldiers dem enlist insyd de PAIGC ein military wing. Wen na dem no dey fight, na PAIGC soldiers till den plough de fields alongside de local population.

Cabral den de PAIGC sana set up a trade-and-barter bazaar system dat move around de country wey na e make staple goods available to de countryside at prices lower dan dat of colonial store owners. During de war, Cabral sana set up a roving hospital den triage station to give medical care to wounded PAIGC soldiers den quality-of-life care to de larger populace, wey dey rely on medical supplies dem garner from de USSR den Sweden. Na de bazaars den triage stations be at first stationary, til dem cam under frequent attack from Portuguese regime forces. 

## Assassination
Insyd 1972, na Cabral begin make he form a People's Assembly in preparation for de independence of Guinea-Bissau. On 20 January 1973, na de disgruntled former PAIGC rival Inocêncio Kani, togeda plus anoda member of PAIGC, shoot Cabral to death insyd Conakry. Na be Cabral 48 years old.

## Aftermath
Some people dey talk say, Portuguese PIDE agents get plan wey dem no fit carry out well. Dem wan use agents wey dey work inside PAIGC to influence Cabral's enemies, make dem fit catch am and hand am over to Portuguese authorities. Another talk be say, Ahmed Sékou Touré, wey dey jealous of Cabral wey get beta international fame, plus other reasons, orchestrated de conspiracy; both stories still dey debatable and no proof yet.

After dem kill am, like hundred officers and guerrilla soldiers from PAIGC wey dem accuse say dem dey join for di plan wey cause Amílcar Cabral dey go meet him maker and di try to take over di movement, dem just lock dem up plus kill dem sharp-sharp. Him half-brother, Luís Cabral, come take over as di leader of Guinea-Bissau branch of di party and later become di President of Guinea-Bissau.

No reach one month after dem kill am, United States talk say di colonial power wey be Portugal no dey directly involved for di guy death, as wetin dem write for official documents wey dem show for 2006. But still, di US State Department talk say dem information and investigation services also see say "Lisbon no fit escape" from di matter wey concern di leader wey dey fight for Cape Verde plus Guinea-Bissau independence "no fit be rule out."

For 25 April 1974, dem do Carnation Revolution coup for Portugal, after that e bring cease-fire for all di battle fronts and finally all di colonies wey Portugal get for Africa gain their independence. Cabral don die before di colonize people for Africa fit see di independence, e no fit witness how him home boys for Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau take shine their eyes from Portugal.

## Tributes

Dem sabi say Cabral be big 'revolutionary theoretician' like Frantz Fanon and Che Guevara, one wey hin influence dey spread pass de Africa continent. Dem name Amílcar Cabral International Airport, wey dey for Sal, Cape Verde, after him. Plus, dem get football competition wey dem call Amílcar Cabral Cup for zone 2, na tribute for him. The only private university for Guinea-Bissau, Amílcar Cabral University for Bissau, sef carry him name. Jorge Peixinho even write elegy for Cabral back in 1973.

Author António Tomás write one biography wey dem call O Fazedor de Utopias: Uma Biografia de Amílcar Cabral, wey show Amílcar life well well for narrative style. E dey carry serious gist about Amílcar family history for Portuguese. Plenty photos of am dey, and the independence work for Guinea-Bissau, come from Italian photographer Bruna Polimeni. Dem don show am for Cape Verde, Portugal den Italy.

Patrick Chabal, wey be professor of Lusophone African studies for King's College, London, don write book about Amílcar Cabral life and biography, wey dem call Amílcar Cabral: Revolutionary Leadership And People's War (1983 and 2003). The book dey show how Cabral, as head of PAIGC, wey be Guinea-Bissau nationalist movement, turn one of Africa big revolutionary leaders.

President William R. Tolbert (Liberia) build nice housing estate for Old Road, Sinkor, Monrovia, wey dem name after Cabral.

There be one block of flats wey dem dey call Amílcar Cabral Court for Porteus Road for west London, e dey for Paddington Green area.

Angolan singer wey dey fight for our rights, David Zé, na him compose 'Quem Matou Cabral' to honor Amílcar Cabral. He perform am during Mozambique, São Tomé plus Príncipe, plus Guinea-Bissau independence celebration.

East Germany sabi wan stamp for him honor for 1978.

Dem name square for Veshnyaki District of Moscow 'Amílcar Cabral Square' (Russian: «Площадь Амилкара Кабрала» "Ploschad Amilcara Cabrala") since 16 January 1974.

Dem vote am second best leader for di whole world for one poll wey BBC World History Magazine do for March 2020.

Dem don name public library for Bologna, dem call am 'Amílcar Cabral Library' since 1974.

## Insyde popular culture

##### Films

* Cabral dey talk plenty for how e think wey e play for Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde freedom inside Chris Marker movie, Sans Soleil (1983). E still be the main person for Portuguese documentary, Amílcar Cabral, wey dem drop for 2000.
* Di documentary film Cabralista, wey win di CVIFF prize for best documentary for 2011, dey shine light on Amilcar Cabral political views plus ideologies.

##### Music
Di Senegal band, Orchestra Baobab, carry one jam wey dem call "Cabral", wey dem sing for Cape Verdean Creole for dia 2007 album wey dem name Made in Dakar.

## Writings

* Cabral, Amilcar. *Resistance and Decolonization*. Translated by Dan Wood. Rowman & Littlefield International, 2016.
* Cabral, Amilcar. *Return to the Source: Selected Speeches of Amilcar Cabral*. Monthly Review Press, 1973.
* Cabral, Amilcar. *Unity and Struggle: Speeches and Writings of Amilcar Cabral*. Monthly Review Press, 1979.

## References



## Read further

* Abdel Malek, Karine, "Le processus d'accès à l'indépendance de la Guinée-Bissau.", In : Bulletin de l'Association des Anciens Elèves de l'Institut National de Langues et de Cultures Orientales, N°1, Avril 1998. – pp.&nbsp;53–60
* 
* Chabal, Patrick. *Amilcar Cabral: Revolutionary Leadership and People's War*. New York and Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1983. .
* Chailand, Gérard. *Armed Struggle in Africa: With the Guerrillas in "Portuguese" Guinea*. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1969. .
* 
* Dhada, Mustafah. *Warriors at Work*. Niwot, Colorado, USA: Colorado University Press, 1993.

* 
* McCollester, Charles. "The Political Thought of Amilcar Cabral." *Monthly Review*, 24: 10–21 (March 1973).
* Mendy, Peter Karibe. *Amílcar Cabral: A Nationalist and Pan-Africanist Revolutionary*. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2019. 
* Ochieng Okoth, Kevin. *Red Africa. Reclaiming Revolutionary Black Politics*. Verso, 2023.
* Sigal, Brad. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20031007231007/http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/humanities/jaffee/historian/1729/sigal/index.html Amilcar Cabral and the Revolution in Guinea-Bissau]*, City College of New York.
* 

## External links

* "The Weapon of Theory" Archived 23 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, a speech at the Tricontinental Conference in Havana, 1966.
* Charles Peterson, "Amílcar Lopes Cabral", *Encyclopædia Britannica*. Updated 8 September 2020.
* "National Liberation and Culture", a speech at Syracuse University in 1970.
* The African Activist Archive Project website has documents, posters, buttons, and photographs related to the struggle for independence in Guinea-Bissau and support for that struggle by U.S. organizations. The website includes photographs of Cabral.
* Works at Marxists.org
* "The Revolution in Guinea-Bissau and the Heritage of Amilcar Cabral" from ''Africa in Struggle'', by Daniel Fogel.
*Review of Amilcar Cabral's Unity & Struggle by John Newsinger in *International Socialism*, 12 (1981).