SUN OF OUR FREEDOM

THE INDEPENDENCE OF BISSAU SUN OF OUR FREEWM (Second Printing, Nove.ber 1974)

Ihe year 1974 wu one of unprecedented victories for tho people of Guinea-Bissau, , , Su, Ton and Princi~-- and of Portugal itself. After thirteen yem of haaip the Portuguese people had become ron and mra unwilling to continue the unjust and futile colonial wars in Africa. The victories scored by the African Liberation Movements precipitated a oaup in Portugal on April 25, 1974, which bagan the process of dismantling the fascist dictatorship at horn, and 500 years of colonialism in Africa.

On Sqtember 10, 1974, the new Portuguese govern- ment acknarledged Guinea-Bissau's independence and bogn withdrawing its troops. On September 17th the Republic of Guinea-Bissau was formally admit- ted to the .

'IHE STRUGGLE CONTINUES But the liberation struggle in Guinea-Bissau con- tinuu: the struggle for land, for education, for health care,for eqmlity md justice; the struggle to grew rn~rfifed md to control one's own re- soiurces; the stluggle to red and write; the struggle to live beyond the age of five; the struggle to finally expel colonialisr from the C.g Verde Islands.. .in short, the struggle to forge 8 nw nation, one which will control its own destiny. This is the history that the people of Guinea-Bissau are making today.

A LIRA ONTINUA! NO PINTCHA! THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES! FORWARD !

"OWL ~UIUmati .b pain and bod StRcLight mad fit rwr The bun o$ ow Qwtdom.. .. " (from "Our Sure Roadt' by Cape Verdem poet, Supajudo) PROCLAMATI8H OF THE STATE 0F GZfINEA BISSAU by the Peap1e1$ Natisnak Asscnilsly

"The cuhncur;t m e$ mzhs,b kinltehg A &mMzed by the b;DluggEe ob peopiEu doh ;tkein ~~ hd- pa;tian wbWm, impuda&hm, &dm and aLt ofiett dam 04 domina;tion,and opphe6ahn hmp- uciy1g kurnh deviztepme&- and &gnLtg, peace erred pmg/tesb 6

?lo &e .t%Med Urn 04 Gui~eaBiAaau, scln. pup&, guLd&d. try Pam%& A$~eanoda lnde- pendeurcLu. $a Gde & Cdo Vde f PA1 GCf .UA~.WL&c enRig&cn&d~XeadmkCp ed 4bdaand.No, 1 miell;anX, ~WICab&, b, fie &@tide66 17 ym04 poUd a.n$~wdar;tkttgg.te, co~ur.twc- ed a w fib& wd now pa46u6e6 a conbXanA;eg- evoRving a$midlt;rwLtive oagerziza*tion, a a& and cuR;Wtae aettvicu, a judic/iae ayaltem, a alteadiey devaoping ewvwmy and nationat med dotrces.. .. At & rneu%ng 04 14 SepXmbex 1923 in ;the.-Bee- teg.is.w, fie Peoplea& Nattod haedaly,d expneeaiing Rhe aoudgn cafRey06 $he. peepte: SQ~E,@If.Y PROCLAIMS 'Tff E STATE Of GUllJEA 8lSSAU The .S;tw*te o&Guina U~au..& a &ave/r&gn, xepub- Limn, dm~au.Ec,srttZt+ealeoWZ ahti+&- hpimWAlt SMe wko~epmmy ebjedves a Rhe complete Uehafion o 4 &e peeptc e 4 .Guiiutea- Bbau and e~peVadc and, (oksiatj e g ,a unisn be- &eea &me liwa Xwr,Lte~&aieh lEhe pwysda-e e$ b uiecLirzg -rzAltrrang A$~canhem&kd- $cdic&&d 20 pmg/teb~. The amangemem% M wtiolz wa be Weminest, ajjxerr x;thae -two ltWe~aa Lib-$, k~ 8tccsrtLQaMce wa&te luiRe 04 lthc peoptc,

The SAX.& 0.5 Guinedt Bi~swaam& amd d@ ofi &king action to expeue, by evay meam, Rhe expuRnion 06 Rhe fiohceb 06 aggmhbn ofi Pas- uguebe coloni~m&om Rhat pa4.t ofi the ;tWq a fi Guinea Bhaau which Rhey hWoccupy and to ivLtemifiy the hlf;tLugglein Rhe Cape Vende lhlan&, which born an integhae and iwenable patLt od Rhe don& tWtryofi Rhe people 06 Guinea- Bhhau and Cape Vende.. .. The Sme ofi G&ea ;&inamanhwnes ne6pomLbLLLtq don pmrnofing Rhe economic advancement 04 Rhe cody, Rheneby orr.ea/ting Rhe ma;tW babh doh Rhe dev&opment 04 cWe,bcience, and ;technology, with a view to Rhe can;tinuling irnpmvement ofi Rhe aaciae and economic LLvLng h&mfa&b od om pop- u8a;tian and with Rhe UaXeaim ofi achieving a LLQe 04 peace, w&-being and ph0ghUh doh om coun;trtyta chithen.. .. . I! PEOPLE'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Boe region, 24 September, 1973

On Septeaber 24, 1973, the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau declared its independence from Portugal. By November, 74 nations throughout Africa and the world had recosized the new re- public . The declaration of independence culminates five centuries of militant struggle, and follsws a ten-year war against Portuguese rule, led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and , the PAIGC. The declaration came at the first meeting of the newly elected National Assembly held in the southeastern region of Boe in liberated Guinea Bissau. The 120 delegates had been chosen a year before in popular elections held throughout the areas liberated from Portuguese control. The Assembly adopted a constitution establishing a 15-person Council of State, headed by Luis Cabral, Deputy Secretary General of PAIGC and brother of the late party leader, Amilcar Cabral , assassinated by Portuguese agents in January 1973. Aristedes Pereira was chosen to head the Party as Secretary General. In desperation, Portugal called the declaration of independence a mere "~ropagandastunt". How- ever, the United Nations General Assembly supported the new republic when 94 countries voted to comdemn Portugal as a "foreign aggressor" in the "sovereign state of Guinea Bissau." The United States, true to its ally, wted with 5 other countries in deny- ing the existence of the new republic.

Located on the west coast of Africa between Senegal on the North and the Republic of Guinea (~onakry) on the East and South, Guinea Bissau covers 14,000 square miles and holds a population of approximately 800,000, with a high population density of 40 per- sons per square mile. A diverse terrain allows abundant wet rice to be cultivated along the coast- al lowlands, while groundnuts, millet, and cattle are raised on the savannah plateaus of the interior. The major language groups are the Balante(200,000), the Mandjak (110,000), the Na(80,000) and the Mandinka (70,000) ; and the Pepel, Mancagne, Felup, Bissagos, and others all number around 200,000 including those living on Cape Verde, 350 miles west and north of the Guinean mainland. A&ica AQnica deupdwqi uenty A~rcictl.AQnica Gwle .in ysw hand4 Fek independence. Viva Memd Cape Ven$e Viva Angob MazambQue Saa Tome We aUpu/t down Co&Wm keB om land aee Bwi land l;tt6 $on OWL pw)llee We ah& pui dam 1 mpenicLeidm wi;th &hgum, luiRh Jtheirr money We dwtt need Ahem wha;tlac&i~a Nm AWCa A6fLiw A&iu vim GcLCne .e Cub vw Viva &dea Mouunb~ue Saa Tome.

Seng of Freedom Fi$hters in duines Elssatu, from No ~intcha,T. Ogawa, 1972. PORTUGUESE COLONIALISM IN GUINEA BISSAU

Portuguese domination hi Guinea Bissau is older than colonialism itself. From the firteenth through the eighteenth cexturiw Guinea Bissau and the Cape Verde Islands were the center of Portugal1s flourishing trade in slaves, gold and ivory. Plantations and trading posts were set up in Cape Verde, which becm the center for Portuguese administration. Africans from the mainland were carried ss slaves to Cape Verde, or sent on to Brazil.

It was only in the nineteenth century, when the rest of Europe began its scramble for African land and resources, that Portugal formally colonized its "territories" (including also Angola and Mozambique) and attempted to penetrate the inter- ior of Guinea Bissau. The verb "to colonize" cannot adequately describe the process that then took place. For Portugal. inflicted- the harshest forms of forced labor, racial- deeaaation by its policy of "assimila;tionl', cultural destruction via, its "civilizing mission", adeconomic exploi- tation that left the Guineans without adequate food, shelter, health care, sr the mans to subsist. Owing to the Ouinean people's streng resistance to assimilatien, aa well as to PortugalSs own parti- cular brwd 0.9 racism, in 500 ye~ksLess. than 3$ of the AMcan population waa "assidlated. " ' Furthermore, even under colonial rule, the' occupy- ing Portuguese were never able to extend their presence into the whole territory, and they made no eifart to settle maw than a few enclaves. Despite the official policy of assimilation, the Portuguese showed ao interest in developing tha area for the welfare of its inhabitants, who were regarded as no more than a source of unlimited, if inwluntary labor. And the forced labor exact- ed its toll in blooa. Nau d4m he noX avaieabte To fie drteamm, Nan AOngd To fie Singm. In home lanth Vmk night And coLd Ateel Pnevate ---- But -the &eam Will came back And -the hang B/reak 71t6 Jd. Langst on Hughes Oppression

THE MOlBIvENT FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION BEGINS "The viotence wkich ha ded oven -the onddng od -the coLoniae waned, wkich h ceab&aaLy chummed -the rrhylthm dun lthe deshaXon 04 native aociae born and bna km up cui;thau;t ned enve the A yaZem6 ad ne~enence04 the economy, -the CLL~ZO~~OQ drteba and extetuzae fide, a%& aame vhtence cuie& be ceaimed and ;taken oven by lthe na;tive .in the moment when, deciding @ embody kis.121h.y .in ki6 own pen- aon, he amga into the dottbidden quamW~," F'ranz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth

"In SepZembeh 1956, mew9 sechetey in &ismu, a dew Afihcam decided .to embody &.tony in theiR awn pwons. They domed the A&can Parr;ty dot Independence a 4 Gccinea and Cape Vertde latanah (PAIGC). They numbened exady aix, .inc&uding Amiew~Cab&, who wu ltheirt gcLiding apm; bu,t they hn~whme ltheg wme going, They pnoceed- ed a3 puce&& appeal2 don paUc& and ao& change, and wme answmed by aLtence wd hawed nepne66ion. " Basil Davi dson The Liberation of Guine "On 3 Auguht 1959, at a mu& junc;tune h the kinltamj 04 the aakqgLe, Rhe PohAuguae cotoniae- h;ts commWed the maaaae 06 PidgiguLCi., h wkich the duck wotrhenn ud Bhaau and the nivm tmn6puh.t 4;tnikm wme the vimb, and wkich, at a coat od 50 Wedand ova 100 wounded, wan a pCLiY16u.t taaon $on am people, who Leanned RhaA: thme was nu quakion a$ chooaing b-een a peace$& ah-qgle and med combat; the Pumhguae had weapon6 and wme pnepatred a3 We" Amilcar Cabral Address to the United Nations, 1972 It became increasingly evident to the leaders of PAIGC, however, that a colonial revolt by itself would not be sufficient to achieve true national independence ... "Thene A no people on eatr/th which, having been subjec;ted to the hpWtyoke (co%Wton nu-cutoWt), ha managed ;to gain independ- ence ~LthoLLtvictim, The hpontant thing A Xo detmine which dam a{ violence have to be uned by the do& fibWn {otrca in ohden not onty 20 aMlom the violence 04 hpur.hdAm but. &o to insme though the aRnuggle the ~iMaevictotry 06 ;thein we, ;trure nation& independence. The pk and phedent expenienca 06 vLvtiuub pwph, the pnenevct aWon06 natiautag. LLbWon a.hqgtes in Zhe wod (apeUyin Vidm, Congo, and Zimbabwe) a w& a6 the aLtuaLLon 06 pmanent violence. ..A haw un no2 onty .that comp&omA utith hpWmdo not wonk, but dothat the nomat way od nu& Libsna;tion, hpoaed on pwpla by hpUttreptresaion, .b med a&uqgle.ll -- milc car ~abral,1966 11 The Weapon of Theory" "By the end 96 7 962 $hey wetLe heady {en warrdarte. Yet Lt rotu $0 be #mame nst himply the out $he Pouugues e, bCLt above keekgaGzc the couvLtrLy a0 nav finen. 74 Xhae had $0 be wartdae, AX wa6 to be datt /revaUs~attyen&. ..Mae nevo&, no nlatta haw buccaa&.X, could neven in held jua;ti& the swQQeninghit woad cause.. . Rev@& munt .hpQ heva-n, ah kt wsuR$ -be Ire$ten rwt ~9am at &.'' --0avA4on, The libeh- Unag GlLine

Buk a great dad. ef wsrk wles necessary beare armed struggle would be pessfble. A group of reliable organizers had to Be recruited and train- ed bef~rethey could set about the long task of organizing the Guinea villages. A PAIGC militant once described how he would go about the job of convincing the villagers that the struggle to be waged was their own: "So you ga inte a vWge a@% ind ding abau;t ;the &den, Xhe man who ha mo/rae slu/the&ty in ;the vWge; and youlne dhesaed a a peanant. Fht04 a,1 ask doh the &dm. Then 7 gnea kim wvtd aisk Bcf.4 hapL&&ity, The bsECavt.te aire vw 'ho~pkikbtc, ThlE -&dut wsum my gne-ga and aho& $an tea$ ,Xe bt 'pnepcured. @hen .the iaad Wves, 1 toah Rt ha$ ;tkreylye bheugkt. Z;tla me.they btLing Gee 04 ckichen. 14 Ith41te1b only &e & pahad! Aauce, 5 hay Xo fie &cia: fatha, whg de you give me only &ice? The Baetrnte aea hodpi-tabte peeple.' ' I um a p0oh ma^. No ckickens. ' 'But hugtd tha$, @!ha? You1ve been wohkuzg att yom LLde and you haven1$ even a single cock in cjoun. yatrd?' ,-.- 4-' -e 'My hon, wy akAUCLL Aga. 7 aed Its have caw, hb4 &a, but ;the w&ta have ahen them $ox Rax* ' 'And doeb .Lt a& you, QaAhen, wha;t ;the whLteb me doing?' 'It doebn't a& me. BuL what can I da? They'ne ;tau a;Drong. ' So $atr I've been getting an idea abou;t what ;the old man Uke. fie1a aetrdy ;tau me he doesn't like ;the cotuWlt6. BuL I have anked no big quebZLun6, I've aaid nofig hpa/r;tavLt y&. Now I go a bLt &.uu%m. ' FaAhm, id by chance ;thmela aoma%hg Itha..t could give you a b&m fide ;tamonnaw, wodd you be in $avom o$ &?'

'W& Ithen, think about .Lt. Fun now we have a Parr;ty Xht &igm ;the Pomkguebe ao we can be dnee and ao you can keep what you g& by youh w0h.k. ' - in kvidson, The Liberation of Guine THE ARMED STRUGGLE BEGINS

-1961 On the third of August, 1961, PAIGC began direct armed action. Starting with sabotage, the struggle progressively developed until in January, 1963, the people ' s guerrilla war was definitively launched in the South, with only three or four pistcls , half a dozen guns, and many farm tools. By the middle of 1963, 15 percent of the country had been liberated. -1963 The Portuguese responded by sending in a force which grew f'rom 5,000 troops in 1963, to 45,000 in 1973, concentrated in the towns and a few countryside posts. -1964 In 1964, the Portuguese attempted to regain lost territory by attacking Como Island, but they were soundly defeated after a 75-day seige. They lost 900 soldiers, a seriously large amount of material, and were forced to withdraw. This defeat of the Portuguese only contributed to the ranks of PAIGC by inspiring almost 1,000 new volunteers for their army. Today Como Island is one of the most de- veloped liberated areas.

1965-67 By-66 PAIGC had liberated half the national territory; and by 1967 the entire guerrilla force had been incorporated into the regular armed forces of PAIGC, called FARP (people's Revolutionary Armed ~orces). While the people's militia de- fended the liberated territories, the regular forces (FARP) advanced to the fronts. It became increasingly obvious to Portugal that the only way they would be able to fight this war was from the air. This new effort was later to include bio- logical and psychological. warfare pattered on the U.S. model in Vietnam. 1968-69 Thus the Portuguese have been put completely on the defensive. Despite air backing a poor country like Portugal cannot maintain the high casualities and loss of material and weapons, so only a few bases remain in the countryside. Bissau and Bafata, the two largest towns, continue to be Portuguese enclaves, although since 1971 they have been insecure because of PAIGC attacks.

1970-71 The years 1970 and 1971 introduced the Guinean people to the use of Napalm and herbicides by desperate Portuguese troops. In the spring of 1971, the enemy began to launch fragmentation bombs which destroy houses, foliage, trees, and everything within thousands of feet from the center of explosion. Villages, bridges, schools , camps, hospitals, all are wiped out, but only until they can be rebuilt or moved to another place within the country. Nothing is a perman- ent setback; always you can hear the call "NO ~intcha!"- "Forward" - it is the only way to go.

By the end of 1971 more than two-thirds of the population is living in liberated territory.

"THE GUERRlLLA WALKS PROUDLY ON THE LAND, WHT LE THE LITTLE PORTUGUESE COMMANDS THE CLOUDS"

- Song of school children in liberated Guinea Bissau -1973 Since all supply to the Portuguese troops must come from the air, they are extremely vulnerable. PAIGC takes the initiative in this war. From March to May, 1973, PAIGC shot down fourteen Portuguese planes, for the first time using anti-aircraft missiles. Thus the PAIGC poses a serious challenge and threat to Portugal's supremacy of the air. ll. .. aide dnom Ahe wowzded, Ahe dead, Ahe enemy airtcnadlt, Ahe bombn , Ahe 6igWng men, Ahe po-Li- $id wonhm, Ahe miai;ta&, ;the Pa/r;tg - how many objedve nUun;tiee ;to cod! Uene uti;Uz un - did you gmpAX? - evenyMng A objecave neaeity: women, ckiedtten, men, &eu, npU dlowm, even Ahe dead. Fan we me a nocieyty 06 Ahe Living and ;the dead; and that A not a weahnua. On Ahe con;Dratrg, Lt'a a amng;th agaivtcllt Ahe aacnidicecl we mubi make. " - Amilcar Cabral, PAIGC

Tff E LONG PAY ' S MARCH ARR fie WUwill give wag

To the ~WLY06 OWL dea

And no one will ~&e/r in the Long dq'n manch

Wkicfl w& doh Ahe blood

To devom ;the du;t on Ahe noadd

Vhunk wLth OWL bho&g

We dh& dahhen ;the hn&cape &om aim F/rom lthe pevlde wLonie6 We nh& at Lmlt ~mZeup at the n;tarr-Ligkt. - Onesimo Silveira PAIGC Militant Napalmed village being guarded by a member of the peoples' militia. ENEMIES AND FRIENDS

"Evehyone known thd PonALLgaL dou no;t make any airrchar&t, no$ even ;tCIgn $oh ckiedhen. Om nit- ua;tiun - ;tkis Pomkguue agghgnnhn agai~n;tout peopLe - do&voLven the Wenod PotLtugaL, bduding G/tea;t BtLi/tain and the United StaAen. And thehe Xoo out nhggte bhingn anothm gain: .it ;teachu un Xo know the &Len& and enemiu 04 om peopLe, A4hica,11 - Amilcu Cabral

Some of the weapons used by Portuguese troops and where they come from: - Reconnaisance jets and bombers - West Germany - Alouette helicopters - France - Frigates, gunboats - Britain and Holland - B-25s, ~-26~,helicopters - U.S .A. - Herbicides, napalm, defoliants - U.S.A. Flus guns, boats, and ammunition fron NATO. Not to mention the $436.5 million in economic aid and credits offered to Portugal by the U.S. in 1971 under the "Azores Agreement."

"The S/ta;ts, ad GLLinea lWnau hegarrch the 4;tttengfiening od .the, fink o 4 nahhLty and neldiettey bmtherr- hood between om people and ecta peoplu 06 the Pak/tugueee colonied a one a 4 ;the ~undmen;tat p~ncipCsno 6 Lix bentLp poficy; Lt 4;tm& in sofidanity wLth the peopla h&ggfivtg doh the& Aneedarn and &dependence in Ahnim. &La and LGutin hnwLca and with' dee Anab peojtes &igkting again~t ZLovLism," -Proclamation of Independence The people of Guinea are linked to those fighting against Portuguese colonialism in Mozambique, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, through the Conference of the Nationalist Organizations in the Portuguese Colonies (CONCP), which is made up of representa- tives of PAIGC, MPLA (popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), FRELIMO (Mozambique Liber- ation Front), and CLSTP (Council for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe). People in the Portuguese- occupied areas of Africa know that their struggle is one, and that this struggle is linked to the rest of Africa, especially the areas of Southern Africa still dominated by white minority regimes.

PAIGC receives material aid first of all from other African countries through the Organization of African Unity, then from progressive nations and people all over the world.

MY BROTHER My bno;then LA not he Lvho wah barn Qum Rhe womb oh my molthen.

He A Rhe one who in ;the dnee paAhQ Stinb wah me ;taday ;the watm a$ Rhe same /tiveh, aleepa unden Rhe aame shy, aingh wM me fie aame aonga a$ WCVL.

M bmkhen LA Rhe one who $atget6 kim6db : deLibWon od kid peopte LA kin neahon dot Living, My bm;thett h ;that one at my aide who &Lgh&. - Mozambique Revolution THE INSTITUTIONS OF NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION

Ten years of armed struggle against Portuguese col- onialism has been paralleled by the PAIGC's efforts at national reconstruction of the econoqy and social and cultural institutions. These efforts are re- flected in the many schaols, health centers and cultural institukions which are for the first ti= serving the needs of the people. All these have been built in the midst of napalm bombs, herbicides, and other forms of terror used by the Portuguese.

This mask of the goddess NIMBA-KAMATCHOL is a symbol of the cultural heritage of the "Nalus" in southern Guinea Bissau. Seized by the Portuguese authorities, it was re- covered from the Colonial Museum in Bissau by PAIGC militants . EDUCATION Af'ter 500 years of Portuguese domination...... 99% of the Guinean people remained illit- erate; less than 3%of the population were in primary and seaondary schools, and even fewer people were allowed to go beyond the elementary level. A total of 56 secondary schools had been established in the country, 11 government and 45 missionary. Only 14 university graduates were the achievement of the 500-year "civilizing mission." Now, in the areas liberated by PAIGC...... education is the cornerstone of the new nation. By 1972 PAIGC had established more than 245 primary schools, with over 250 teachers and an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. In school Guineans, young and old, learn the reasons for the struggle, the policy and ideology of PAIGC, as well as history, geography, mth, natural sciences, and language..

One of PAIGC's highest priorities has been the development of literacy among the peo?le, for they know it is the means of liberating minds and creat- ive abilities. A mass literacy campaign has been instituted, Primary education i.s obligatory .and free. Teachlng and technical training centers have been established in the liberated areas, along with programs in national liberature and arts and physical education, all non-existent under the Portuguese.

In addition, PAIGC has two military schools inside liberated Guinea which focus on adult literacy training. By 1972, 497 civil servants adpro- fessionals were trained to administer PAIGC opera- tions inside liberated areas. Each of the three military fronts has a boarding school through the fourth grade, and the best students are 8elected for further training in academic, administrative and military services. In June 1973, a graduation ceremony was held for over 700 students in the northern front.

The progress of PAIGC in education is well demon- strated by the simultaneous regression of the Portuguese. In 1968-69, the Portuguese claimed to have 815 teachers in 342 schools; in the fol- lowing year, as PAIGC expanded its control of the countryside, the Portuguese claimed only 458 teachers and 241. schools.

.. . Fange 4hpLe wad thaX even the ckiechen can undmhd wand Aich luiee entm evmy houe &he the wind and ~& &he ned hat embm an auh peaple'a ha&. ln auh hnd ButYu2 me beginning a% 6towm.

- Jorge Rebelo FRELIMO

Student helping to construct a school in Guine~Bissau where classrooms are thatched with palm leaves, and desks and chairs made from branches

HEALTH SERVICES

When armed struggle broke out in 1963, there were only 4 doctors in the countryside. Most trained doctors stayed in the cities and did not serve the masses of people Now, after 10 years, PAIGC has 40 doctors inside Guinea Bissau.

PAIGC has a central hospital in each of the country's three regions, smaller hospitals at the sector level (3 or 4 small villages), and health centers within the sectors. Health teams frequently visit villages to bring medical care to the sick wh3 cannot be moved, to evacuate others to the health centers or hospitals, and to instruct the people in childcare and hygiene. The hospitals are all directed by Guinean medical doctors, and each mobile health team consists of a male and female nurse.

One hospital complex, Simon Mendes Military Hospi- tal in the Sara region, is staffed by 10 doctors and 15 nurses. There is a hut for general consul- tation and dispensary work, another for operations such as appendectomies, amputations, and caesarian births, and a set of buildings to house the staff and another for patients.

Although the hospital is officially for "military" use, the majority of patients are civilian, coming to be treated for a vwiety of diseases - mala.ria.. bilharzia, sleeping sickness, skin diseases, in- testinal infections, etc. An idea of how many people the hospital serves can be obtained from hospital records: January to April, 1973 - 1.,180 patients for consultation ; 177 hospitalized, 25 of whom suffered from military wounds.

In addition, PAIGC has established numerous "sanitary brigades" which travel throxhout the liberated zones for innoculation programs and health education. Large-scale vaccination cam- paigns are periodically carried out by PAIGC. In 1971, they effectively protected the people in the liberated areas from a cholera epidemic widespread in neighboring Senegal and the Republic of Guinea (~onakry). This was accomplished in the absence of electricity and refrigeration.

Malnutrition is a big health problem, partly caused by the systematic slaughter of livestock by Port- ugugese troops in an effort to defeat PAIGC's program of national reconstruction. As a result, PAIGC devotes much time to eccouraging people to raise livestock. Life expectancy has -gone up con- siderably in 10 years, where under the Portuguese more than 50% of the children died before age two. ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION

The People's Store is the backbone of the economy in the liberated areas. First organized by PAIGC in the mid-19601s, the stores have now been set up throughout the countryside. Villagers bring their produce to the stores and exchange their goods for basic necessities such as clothing, cooking uten- sils, and food. In areas remote from distribution centers, economic brigades bring goods to the people. Through the people's stores local produce such as rice, palm oil and hides, is also recycled to military units, schools and health centers, and some is now even being used to generate foreign exchange. FAIGC has also established a tailor shop which can be commissioned to make clothes in return for vouchers, and has set up a separate fabri- cation center which makes all military clothing.

By 1967 the Guineans were producing enough rice not only to feed the ~eoplein the liberated areas and the PAIGC army, but to export! In contrast, rice had to be imported into the Portuguese- occupied areas. PAIGC has also been able to ex- port- cola nuts , beeswax and crocodile skins, for prices far lower than the Portuguese ever offered. PAIGC is now thinking of introducing its own cur- rency . The Portuguese have been unable to exploit the rich bauxite and timber resources of Guinea due to the war. These resources await the opportunity for development by free Guineans in the future.

The redistribution of land, formerly plantations under the Portuguese, has also been carried out by PAIGC. Land is farmed collectively, but the Party is particularly sensitive to consider traditional and locU customs with regards to land and production as it pushes for more progressive and collective agricultural practices.

"We MhA: ;to get back om land and ~p4.Thhough Xhe sZmggkk we ~QUIwe ane poN~&d. NOW&+ we have bchooJA and can wn6& a dac;tolr. We sac0 &ljfi a hp0n;tavct 1& &k.t...." - a peasant in the South

Peasants greeting PAIGC leader, Amilcar Cabral, at a meeting inside liberated Guinea Bissau ,1972. POLITICAL IITSTITUTIONS

Under the guidance of PAIGC, the people have organ- ized themselves to run their own lives, from the most basic level on up: "We've heed decCL0m huh a Ptwty cummi;t;tee in each vdYage, We CUMLt a l'&xbanca" co-ee (hxbanca h Guinea-Cneote doh vdXage 1. ln genettae, Lt h compoaed ad Rhme men and ;thhee women, and h &ec;ted by ;the evlltitLe vLUage. We expkn behahe- hand ;the rua14 i~ which ;they mut get onganizd, the ,tab ltlzey have to canny ou;t, and Ahe basic ptLin- cipta oa Ahe Ph4. Young people me oaten dectd. The otd peopte havelz't &aya been happy to aee Ah& platen in ;the viL&tge Leadmhip &ken oven by ;the young, Aemoat all od om Gghtm ate young. But ;then again, aince evaybody; old and young, had had enough 06 ;the PotrAuguae, even Ahe old oneb who at dhtdkagged .the.& deet 6.ivuxRey came mound. So anyhow, comee oa&Lcm me etected by Rhe ~LUugm. We in Ahe Pmy me comuated, and we decide ;ta buppatr/t a candidate on ;the bash 06 Rhe wu& ahelhe ha aetready accompldhed doh Rhe ?My, and 06 Ahe ateem h wkich Rhe o;thm peaad ho&d kimlha. 1n phincipte, Rhe peaad ' choice h mpected. 16, h om opLnion, ;they have choaen badty, we Leave ;the candiae in o ddice. We w&t doh the peasant^ ;ta m&ze Xheitt mi6take by Ithem- a&veb, Nahm.Uy, ;the Pmty /ramven the night .to hemove Ahoae who une Rhb phenaga;tiua .in ;th& own Lntenaa2. We don't want a new ckie~taimkipayAtem. A new commi;ttee h dected at Ahe pea am2 ' hey uen t; and aec;tioa me doheld p&odic&y junt ,to avoid what you might cdt hdening 06 Rhe aAdtetLia he v&ge commiktee hm aeveut tab, A-t Rhe phaenk b&ge, one 06 Ahe mob2 hpontan;t .LA ;ta &acme agtLicue;tuhae pmdudon, ao Rhat Ahme wXbe plenty 04 nice $an both ~&u and dightm. The Ggh;tm &o pnoduce nice, Wet, etc., bu;t Rheh 6aod h buppfied maivLey by ;the vLUuge. We1ve mated nw coUec;tive GeLd-5 40 Rhat Rhe vLUagm can pmduce dun .the &Lght~. The vdXage commi;ttee &o ;taka carre 06 Rhe mtei/tia, which wmha 06 young peopte uho arte not FARP hhtm bLLt guuaLUu parr;tibaM6 wLth ni6.t~and no unL6otun6. They me pmt 06 Rhe vLUugela a&& deaeme gkoup. Tn cWzonu, they play an 04~mivetrote. They . five in ;the vdXage and me Xmmdertt~ed Qnom pace to place accotrding Xo .the neqLLirtemen/tb 04 o!ln ~RhuggLe. Obviounty, Zhsy arte voMem. Theg joh UA bewe 04 the pal- LZicat wonk in the vLUaga. Tkin woth & done .& Rhe &caL language.

PoL.&Lcd wonh ~eamgWg ;the people .to know ab0u.t ;the Pan;ty and exp.eaining why we exint ancf what we ~uant. We expUL wConiaeidm mw. A-t @LAX, we explain Rhat Gui.~eaAn'Z Po&tugd and fhzt we can govm a~~vebwLihoLLt the ?OM- uguese &king om fivutach, W~outheavy Itaxen, and blocus, ad dm 04 ;the Po&tuguese, We exptuin ;tha;t whu..tla happening hae An1&an act 04 God, and fiat it la aheady happened .& a tot o 6 oRhvL cowl;ttLia, We have Ao ahow om peopte fiu..t Rhe WOWdounlt end a.t Rh& vLUuges. Om pnobtem h Xu make Rhem undmW ;the pkesevllt lev& 04 ;the ahggte, ;that duct Rhat Rhe atuggte doebnl,t cancan jut lheirt vWge bu;t dt ad Guinea, und .that it'd nut ~hp.tya mtLcnat bu.t &a an hta- &n& a;trucggle, We have .to make .them awme .that .in osrdm a3 advance, Rhe must guahavttee .the nZmggtela catfiw,3 ey munt ;as chahge 06 Rheih own du;tiny by botvug Rhuh pmbtem otz .the vittage Lev&, dev&p.&g pmduc/tion, amding RheirL chA%ten .to achaot, and hotding dkequent meeJtinga. - Chico, Political Comissar, Northern Interregion Armed Strude in Africa (G. Chaliand) Militants greeting a peasant. broken down the barriers of t ADMINSTRATION OF JUSTICE 6 In 1969 a judicial system was set up in the liber- ated areas. Village courts, composed of three elected villagers, were given jurisdiction to settle minor disputes and cases of petty thef't; judgments are given on the basis of traditional cus.tomary law and we aimed at preserving harmony mong the villagers. Fines may be imposed, and if the convicted person does not pay the fine, he my be required by the Poxty to do some form of compulsory labor, such as tr~~1sp~r-Lingmilitary equipment. PAIGC does not mintzin ;~risons,both for economic reasons and because it believes in rehabilitation.

Appeals from the village courts are handled by sectoral courts, composed of five members. The sectorial -ourt can also try more serious offenses and hand down sentences of up to five years compulsory labor.

The military court is the highest permanent judi- cial body and is composed of three PAIGC members and two elected representatives. This court can review decisio~sof the two lower courts and try cases of espionage, homicide and rape. In cases of high treason, the degth penalty is soxetimes handed down. The courts are independence of the Party and %he armed forces. All court hearings are public, and. the accused may either plead his own defense, be represented by a person of his choice, the Represe~tativeof the Secretary of Justice, or a villager chosen by the Representative?. Any convicted person nmy appeal to the Secretory General of PAIGC.

The most important task confronting the judicial authorities is that of preparing a civil and penal code for liberated Guinea, one that is popularly inspired and based on African customs and values, but which could also combat undesireable practices such as forced marriage. PAIGC has authorized the village courts or tribunals to grant divorces and to ensure that no woman is forced to remain with a husband against her will.

THE POSITION OF WOMEN

The necessities of armed struggle have provided a catalyst for many changes which go far beyond defeating the Portuguese. National Reconstruction is one such change; social reorganization of roles and relationships is another; and the eman- cipation of womn to be full participants in the society is yet another. All are taking place in Guinea Bissau in the carving out of the new society from the old.

A PAIGC militant speaks to the heart of the problem: "The sWnLA ;the rame aeB. oven A&h. We meXhc 4ikves 06 .the r&ave~. But no Long-. OWL Ptaty undmXad6 Ahat Xhe ~wgLewutd not advance wLthout women. Women me mom numwus in OWL wunttLq lthan men. The hhuggle motbe waged uLthou;t oven haLd .the popuCation. kt fie beginning 06 ;the ~huggle,fie PMy made a c& Xo women Xo -pate at a.42 Leva, even when fie Pwnty KU oeavtdebfie. Now Aha she Tabancad - c~~ee,oQ Qivc Xha2 gevm Xhe m-an$ a*t .hut .two 06 .these must be women. SometGnes QOWL ane women. We how .tha-t we must deQ& Xhe cuw;tomb $m.t keep women &om teadmkip. We me buhe OWL men me .in accotrd lui;th. ub but we o@en have ;to wm6a.t Xheirr mentuhkeb.. Re.&&onhoma;tGnes daeb not &w women to advance. Women cons;tanteq sXJcuggle againdt Xhese batmim. Tn Xhe ExecuLLve ComniA;t&e Xhae one warnan. P~evLtey,in .the Ube/rated cMea in.theSou.th.the/reibawmanwCto cLihat6 &nat mnsWn. We have gUup& QO~Lthe women 04 Vi&um. We have not been crbk to ackieve lthe tevet th& they have. We do not have a wm- mandm 04 a baZ&zUhn uJto .& a woman. But OW wmen am invotvd in fie &fig. [Qedo have wmen in .the &ipeomat.ic ww. We ane not d- pated, but m ahe in .the pnacesb. l1 - Lucretta Andrade, PAIGC

And another womau militant emresses simil~rhepe: l1We am wtt awa .that lthe long and did@wLt path ha6 not yet been wmplete8, but new fi~ i.6 nothing which rAw& in lthe wtu/ 601~wmen o$ OW wum3.y .t4 & ltOW the Libetration &wm a.U boa 04 opptesrhn. Tkis .the cnuciaR ~uctorrdo4 .the ltnue &n&C and boaUehation 04 OW pwpk." - ha Merie Cabral, PAIGC

Cabral himelf admitted this problem in an informal talk with Afr@-Au~rlcutsia New Yerk City in kt- ober , 1972:

? ,.But we have big ptre ble~ bolve and we have a gWp/urbZvn (cenwwhg men) rui;th home 04 .the haduu 04 fie PtuAy. We kve,evtn mgeti, to combat euMetvu an Xhi4 pWQhn, bec~eWe have .te be able Xo CLLt ltkid cu.&Ud CtUnent, uti;th Ltb moa, until lthe dag we put doat ltkib bad Wng -- $he exSs&oL$atLon 04 wemen. But we made gUpl~lgmb in Zhih &eb[ in these ten yw." - A. Cabral, "Connecting the ~truggles"in Return ta the Seurce Other signs of the advance towarb the total emancipation of woPaen are that polyw, practiced by many Guineans before independence and under the Portuguese, is declining since the beginning of armed struggle. At the sapre ta, intertribal marriages are increasing aa a Guinean national consciousness begins to transcend old tribal allegiences in the liberated areas. When ~prrrriagea do take place, PAIGC tries to ensure that hus- bead and wife are making this decision freely and independently. PAIGC attempts to teach by education and example, so thrrt such changes do not wrench people from their traditions a@nst their will too fast, serving to alienate them from PAIGC and the goals of the new society.

A young mother and child listen in^ to members of the UN special mission ts liberated Guinea Bissau, April 1972 SOLIDARITY

Freedom-loving people all over the world support the struggle of PAIGC against Portuguese colonial- ism and their imperialist allies. This support takes many forms - military materials, educational supplies, agricultural equipment. But an equally important expression of solidarity, especially from people within the countries allied with Portugal, is political support and actions to expose and end complicity with Portuguese colonialism.

Here in the United States, solidarity is expressed by actions directed against those forces which seek to oppress working people here as well as the people in Guinea Bissau - the military, big business, and corrupt political leaders.

To end up wCth, I shout2 UeXo rmrhe one ih~t point about soLkhLty b&een Xhe .i&muu%d wo&g cea6s movement and om &na8. &ibenation -glee Thehe a/re AWO uLWwmaXves: &heh we admi*t that thehe aeaUq LA a sX4~~gg.Ceagainbt .impaidhm lvlkich intmua evaybody, o/r we deny . 14, as wuRd seem &om aAt the evidence, hpWmexis& and A wing shuetaneousty to do- the wo/rking Usin att the advanced wWuand smatheh the &na8. Uehation movmentb in aeC the undvuievetoped wWe6, then thae i.6 ody one enemy &om we she bigfig. IQwe me $&fig tocqetheh. then I Mnfa the main upat 04 om soUda&Lty A extheme- .& simple: Lt i.6 to &kt - I don't ;tkinh ;thehe A any need Xo di6ct.u~ Jtkio verry much. We uu s&uggfig ih GLGinea wCth guns ih am hands, you wt s&ugg& in qom wun0r.L~ a6 weU - I don't say wCth guns in yow hands, I'm not gokg Xo t& you how Xo s&uggte, &'s yow buine~h;but you mu6t &td the but meand and Xhe but Qom04 $.@figagut ow wmmon enemy: Xhe bat d04n1 06 Aolhhh3.j. 31 Tfme ahe, oQ wwe, otha sewndarrq bo~un4 06 so.tkbrAg: pubLiAking matehiae, sending medicine, ate; 1 can guaruxn-tee you that id Xomohhaw we make a btreakthmugh and you me engaged Ln an wed stmggte againbz hphd.bm.. .we wiU aend you borne medicine &o. - A. Cabral, Revolution in Guinea

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cabral, Amilcar, RevaEuLion in Gdnea: An Adhican PwpEe'h SZhuggLe, Sdeoted Texh. Stage I ondo don) or Monthly Review Press (New ~ork).

Cabral, Amilcar, Repuht on Pohtuguae Guinea and ;the 1ibeha;tian Muvemed, in Ufahamu, Vol I. , Bo. 2, Univ. of California, Los Angeles. (vall, 1970).

Cabral, Amilcar, A Bhied Repaht an the SiXdon 06 Rhe SLtuggLe (Jan. - Aug. 1971). In Ufahamu, Vol. 11, No. 3, (winter, 1972).

Cabral, Amilcar, Ouh PeopLe Ahe Out Aluudai~. Com. for Freedom in Yozambique, Angola & Guine (1971).

Cabral, Amilcar, ReXut~nLO ;the Svw~ce, Africa Information Service (mew vork: 1973).

Chaliand, Gerard, Ahmed SLtuggLe in AhtLica, Monthly Review Press (New York: 1969).

Davidson, Basil, The Libmdan 06 Guine: Ahpedx a 6 an A&ican RevaLuLion, Penquin (~altimore : 1969) . Dickenson, Margaret (editor), When Rfib Regin to FEowm: Pam ad Renbin;tence dtram AngaLa, Mozam- bique and Guine, East African Publishing House (1972).

United Nations, Office of Public Information, Mhhian X3 Guinea (Bdbau), (~ewYork: 1972).

The material in this booklet wu originally presented rs a progru to celebrate the victory of the people of Guinea-Bissau, following the declaration of independence. A collection of quotrtions, poems, proverbs, photos and official statements, it is offered as a celebration of a victorious people's struggle against colonialism md imperialism. We originally produced this booklet on the first anniversary of tho ususinatian of PAIGC leader Amilcar Cabral, whose writings on the signifi- cance of culture to Revolution inspired our original program.

The Chicago Cowrittee for the Liberation of Angola, Mozambique and Guine was organized in 1971 to provide material, financial and political support for PAIGC, FRELIMO and MPLA. The Com- mittee supports the total liberation of Southern Africa; works to end U.S. military and economic complicity with colonialism and minority rule in Southern Africa; and seeks to clarify the links between people's struggle against imper- ialism in the U.S. and in Africa.

1st Printing, January 1974 2nd Printing, November 1974

CCLAMG 2546 N. Halsted Street Chicago, Illinois 60614 (312-348-3370)

Photos from the PAIGC, and from No Pirctcha! (The Libutati4n S-gh 06 Guinea), by Tadahim Ogawr, (TAIMATSU-SHA, Tokyo, Japan, 1972) . "You Loved fie apLendouh 06 ouh 6ohebx2 Uch bhe%m Ouh pa/Ltcnan baa, whkh p&Ote& Ouh poplLeatcons and pmtected you a6 wU6mm thobe cnunuzd bombugb. Thebe 6ohaXh me now a ha aLmngfi doh ow peopee, 60h om AhggLe. Be- dotre, fieq mea weaknua, becaue Ne wetre aQmd 06 ouh dohe.b$b, burned bahaons 06 mnh and evehq Lnd 06 spa. Now we me aQuid no Longm; we have conqumed and mob&zed fie bp.inCtb 06 -the 60haX, -tunned a3m okkneb~uub a ~Ztength, ThaX a whaX bhuggle mew : mnmg weahnab into a&engXh." - A. Cabral to a foreign visitor in liberated Guinea