Mozambican Revolution, No. 18
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Mozambican Revolution, No. 18 http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.numr196505 Use of the Aluka digital library is subject to Aluka’s Terms and Conditions, available at http://www.aluka.org/page/about/termsConditions.jsp. By using Aluka, you agree that you have read and will abide by the Terms and Conditions. Among other things, the Terms and Conditions provide that the content in the Aluka digital library is only for personal, non-commercial use by authorized users of Aluka in connection with research, scholarship, and education. The content in the Aluka digital library is subject to copyright, with the exception of certain governmental works and very old materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law. Permission must be sought from Aluka and/or the applicable copyright holder in connection with any duplication or distribution of these materials where required by applicable law. Aluka is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of materials about and from the developing world. For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Mozambican Revolution, No. 18 Alternative title Mozambique Revolution Author/Creator Mozambique Liberation Front - FRELIMO Contributor Department of Information [FRELIMO] Publisher Mozambique Liberation Front - FRELIMO Date 1965-05 Resource type Magazines (Periodicals) Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) Mozambique Coverage (temporal) 1965 Source Northwestern University Library, L967.905 M939 Rights By kind permission of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). Description Editorial. Portuguese-Vatican agreement. The opposition in Portugal. Fourth Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Conference. War communiques. Portuguese self-criticism. Message to the People's Republic of China. "Mozambique's Bitter Pligth." News highlights. Format extent 17 page(s) (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.numr196505 http://www.aluka.org SOLUTION SOLUTION No 18 EDITORIAL PORTUGAL-VATICAN AGREEMENT THE OPPOSITION IN PORTUGAL COMMUNIQUES *** MOZAMBIQUE LIBERATION FRONT = FRELIMO = .965 M0ZAMBICAN REVOLUTION May1965 N.18 FRELIMO Information Department 201, Nkrumah street-Box 15274 Dar-Es-Salaam United Republic of Tanzania CONTENTS Editorial ...... ......... .... Portugal-Vatican Agreement .......... ........... The opposition in Portugal Fourth Afro-Asian Peoples ' Solidarity Conference ..................................... Communiques .................................... Portuguese self-criticism......... Message to the People's Republic of China ...... I' "Mozambique' s Bitter Plight" . ............. News Highlights ............................................ EDITORIAL From the 30th of May to the 10th of June, the Decolonisation Committee (the Committee of 24) of the United Nations will meet in Dar es Salaam. The Committee will discuss the situation in the Portuguese colonies (Mozambique, Angola and Guinea), in Zimbabwe, in South West Africa and in the British Protectorates (Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland). FRELIMO has a realistic outlook concerning the activities of the UN in the field of decolonisation. We are aware of the fact that there are strong and powerful imperialistic influences within the UN. Colonialism is an instrument of imperialism. While these imperialistic tendencies continue to dominate, the colonialist countries do not have to fear any serious international action directed against them. Regarding the countries which are still under colonial control, we believe that national independence must be won by the people. It is the people who must be aware of the exploitation and oppression which weigh heavily on them. They must rise and resolutely fight. The revolution, the movement of the masses, is a sine qua non for the emancipation of a colony. No colonial power ever renounces its colonial territories simply moved by moral considerations. This is especially true of Portugal. For centuries Portugal has built her economy on the basis of the raw materials furnished by her colonies and on the market that the colonies constitute. How can it now be expected that Portugal will renounce that source of riches which we and our country represent to her? Will she be moved by the force of simple resolutions which are themselves hesitant in their formulation, and which emanate from an organisation (the UN) where Portugal has many powerful allies who, openly or secretly, encourage her to continue her colonial policy? Salazar declared in an interview he gave to Reuters on the 2nd of May last year: "Portugal is determined to maintain the control of her overseas territories in spite of the demands made by the United Nations to give them independence." In fact, Salazar flatly ignores and despises the UN and all its resolutions. He is certain that the support he gets from his imperialistic allies will allow him to exist outside of that international organisation. This was the reason we decided to launch the revolution in Mozambique. The anti-colonialist action of the UN is inoperative in relation to Portugal. To wait and trust the UN would have meant to condemn ourselves indefinitely to serfdom. However, in spite of all we have declared above, we welcome the Committee of Decolonisation. There are colonialist countries which are more sensible to the voice of reason than Portugal is. Concerning the colonies which are under their domination, the activities of the UN can be effective. Even with regard to ourselves, its activities can be usefu. By divulging the characteristics of the Portuguese domination and the conditions of the life of our people, this Committee can contribute to a greater international support for our struggle, or at least the support that other countries give to Portugal may be lessened. Therefore, MOZAMBICAN REVOLUTION welcomes the Decolonisation Committee and wishes it the greatest success in its work. PORTUGAL-VATICAN AGREEMENT In Lourengo Marques on the 7th of May, the 25th aniversary of the signing of the so-called "Acordo Missionario" (Missionary Agreement) between Portugal and the Vatican was celebrated. Because of that agreement, the teaching of the African people is left entirely in the hands of the Catholic Church. Article 15.expressly stipulates that "the Catholic Missions will establish schools...colleges...institutes for secondary and professional teaching...." The Portuguese Government abstains absolutely from intervening in the activities of the Missions. All the Government does is to give them subsidies. This 25th anniversary brings to mind the problem of our relations with the Catholic Church. The problem can be put in this way: In what measure has the Catholic Church been an accomplice of Portuguese colonialism? To what extent has it contributed to neutralise the revolutionary tendencies of our people? To what degree is it responsible for the percentage of illiteracy (more than 97%) among the Mozambican people? Let us first consider the Portuguese point of view. According to them, "the missionary church in Mozambique has done Work which can be considered notable.... The Catholic Missions were the glorious precursors of secondary teaching .... Even more notable is the work of the Catholic Missions in the field of primary education for the indigenous.... , etc., etc. (Homilia of the Bishop of Beira, 9.5.65) However, our people have a different version. They do not let themselves be deceived by words. Our people conclude: The percentage of illiterates among us is more than 97%. The teaching of the Africans is entrusted to the Catholic Missions. Therefore, the responsibility for this situation belongs not only to the Portuguese Government, but also to the Church, which agreed to act as an instrument of Portuguese colonial policy, keeping the people illiterate in order to hinder their progress toward independence. There is an African proverb which says: "When the missionaries arrived here, they had the Bible and we had the land. Now, they have the land and we have the Bible." In fact, the Mozambican people have not forgotten that only some dozens of yeart ago the missionaries openly acted as agents of a colonial power: The Vatican. On the pretext of "Christianising", they sread themselves through all of Africa, engaging in intensive commercial activities (which included trafficing in arms and ammunition) and appropriating the land of the African people. The missionaries, in close cooperation with the Portuguese authorities, try by all means to put to sleep the revolutionary tendencies of the people. "All is well in the best of worlds," they say. "If there are negroes and whites, and if the whites dominate the negroes, it is because that is the will of omniscient God. Therefore, we must resign ourselves." Our militants report that in the Seminary of Mariri, the missionaries, on the pretext of "Confession", induce the students to reveal their links with FRELIMO and inform the administrator. Many students were arrested and tortured as a result. Our people point accusingly to the pro-colonialist position of the clergy in Mozambique, as revealed by the "Ten Principles" presented to seminary students by the Auxiliary Bishop of Lourengo Marques, Don Custodio Alvim Pereira. It is important to quote them: I - Independence is unimportant to the well-being of men. It can be good when the proper geographic and cultural cbnditions exist. (However, the latter do not yet exist in Mozambique.) II - Where these conditions do not exist, it is against