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18 PRESENCE A F K I C A I N E •: he adds, « history has always been familiar with convulsions8. » Some people attribute these « convulsions » to subversive and incendiary winds from outside. This was done by Dr. Salazar, the Head of the Portuguese Government, in one of his recent speeches. But the reality is quite different. It must be said quite clearly that economically and sociologically, the relations between Portugal and the « Overseas Provinces » are of the colonial type. The « Provinces » remain « Colonies ». And it was therefore impossible that the Portuguese colonies themselves should not also begin to « stir ». The ideas and movements of political and social emancipation could not fail to come to light in the territories under Portuguese domination as well as elsewhere. The Portuguese colonial system is challenged too. This challenge to Portuguese colonialism is not solely due to external influences, as the Portuguese authorities claim, but also to internal forces. The interaction between these two currents must nevertheless be emphasized, because Afro-Asiatic events of the past few years have caused the outburst of anti-colonialist demonstrations in the Portuguese colonies. To illustrate this, we will merely recall the dockers' strike in the port of Lourenc;o Marques in 19.01, following which the men « designated » as agitators were interned in concentration camps; the Saint Thomas Island affair, in 1953, known as the « Saint Thomas Massacre » and recent events in Portuguese Guinea and Angola. But let us rather listen to the Delegate of the Union of the Populations of Angola (U:P.A.) at the peoples' conference held at Accra in December 1968; « Since its creation in 1904, the U.P.A. has actively waged a constant war. In December 1955 the general discontent of the people was expressed in public demonstrations in which the North of the country systematically took a stand against forced labour and other abuses. In February 1906 the Portuguese authorities carried out mass imprisonments and deportations. Ambrosio Luyanzi, one of the leaders, was tortured, while other patriots like Lello Figueira, Liborio, and Nefwane were interned in the concentration camp of Silva Porto (a town in Angola — Author's note). « Because of the veritable iron curtain separating Angola from the rest of the world, it has been difficult to succeed in conducting a systematic campaign on the international plane to denounce the tragedy of Angola. Nevertheless, a mission from Ghana to Angola • Pierre and Renee Gosset, Figaro, a 1-2 a November 1957. PORTUGAL AND THE COLONIES OF ANGOLA AND GUINEA 19 touched the hearts of the Angolese who interpreted this act as a gesture of active solidarity. This visit from our Ghana brothers provoked mass round-ups on the part of the Portuguese authorities as a result of which men, women and children were arrested. » « Even to-day the population still does not know what has become of the patriot leaders Julio Afonso Issaias Kamatuke, Cunha, Alfredo Benga, Loureiro Joao Sequeria and their families9. » It therefore seems that it is no longer possible to cast any doubt on the existence of emancipation movements in the Portuguese colonies. Though clandestine, they nevertheless conduct incessant action for the liberation of the country. Then how is it possible to explain these professions of faith « unity and integrity of the nation, social peace, equality between Angolans, Goans and Portuguese, etc... » too often repeated not to conceal a lamentable truth ? Only a profound study of the Portuguese colonial tradition, and the political, social and economic structure of Portugal, the ideology of the present Portuguese leaders and the economic and political relations between Portugal and its colonies could explain them. That obviously goes beyond the scope of this record. We will confine ourselves to recalling that Portugal itself remains an under-developed country. Fascist dictatorship backed by the unhappily celebrated P.I.D.E. (Political Police) and the Army has reigned there for more than thirty years. It is with the hacking of this structure that the Government pursues an obsolete and outdated colonial policy which still feeds on the « greatness » of the age of discovery. The handful of concessions made by the Portuguese leaders are no more than eye-wash for the benefit of world opinion, including the change of name from « colonies » to « Overseas Provinces » in 1961. Professor Adriano Moreira, Director of the Higher Institue of Overseas Studies, in his work « Politica-Ultramarina » p. 284, commenting on this change of label, writes; « The international problem was not absent from our minds when we discussed the repeal of the Colonial Act and the integration of its provisions in the constitutional enactment itself, which had so far limited itself to specifying the constitutional nature of the provisions of the Colonial Act10. » In support of his wishes, Professor Adriano Moreira cites, among others, the speech of the deputy, Miguel Baston in the debate in • Speech by the U.P.A. Delegate at the Peoples' Congress, Accra, December 10 Published by the Overseas Research Department, Lisbon. " ' ' " "■'""' ' ' '" '
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Title | CENPA-316~03 |
Filename | CENPA-316~03.tiff |
Full text | 18 PRESENCE A F K I C A I N E •: he adds, « history has always been familiar with convulsions8. » Some people attribute these « convulsions » to subversive and incendiary winds from outside. This was done by Dr. Salazar, the Head of the Portuguese Government, in one of his recent speeches. But the reality is quite different. It must be said quite clearly that economically and sociologically, the relations between Portugal and the « Overseas Provinces » are of the colonial type. The « Provinces » remain « Colonies ». And it was therefore impossible that the Portuguese colonies themselves should not also begin to « stir ». The ideas and movements of political and social emancipation could not fail to come to light in the territories under Portuguese domination as well as elsewhere. The Portuguese colonial system is challenged too. This challenge to Portuguese colonialism is not solely due to external influences, as the Portuguese authorities claim, but also to internal forces. The interaction between these two currents must nevertheless be emphasized, because Afro-Asiatic events of the past few years have caused the outburst of anti-colonialist demonstrations in the Portuguese colonies. To illustrate this, we will merely recall the dockers' strike in the port of Lourenc;o Marques in 19.01, following which the men « designated » as agitators were interned in concentration camps; the Saint Thomas Island affair, in 1953, known as the « Saint Thomas Massacre » and recent events in Portuguese Guinea and Angola. But let us rather listen to the Delegate of the Union of the Populations of Angola (U:P.A.) at the peoples' conference held at Accra in December 1968; « Since its creation in 1904, the U.P.A. has actively waged a constant war. In December 1955 the general discontent of the people was expressed in public demonstrations in which the North of the country systematically took a stand against forced labour and other abuses. In February 1906 the Portuguese authorities carried out mass imprisonments and deportations. Ambrosio Luyanzi, one of the leaders, was tortured, while other patriots like Lello Figueira, Liborio, and Nefwane were interned in the concentration camp of Silva Porto (a town in Angola — Author's note). « Because of the veritable iron curtain separating Angola from the rest of the world, it has been difficult to succeed in conducting a systematic campaign on the international plane to denounce the tragedy of Angola. Nevertheless, a mission from Ghana to Angola • Pierre and Renee Gosset, Figaro, a 1-2 a November 1957. PORTUGAL AND THE COLONIES OF ANGOLA AND GUINEA 19 touched the hearts of the Angolese who interpreted this act as a gesture of active solidarity. This visit from our Ghana brothers provoked mass round-ups on the part of the Portuguese authorities as a result of which men, women and children were arrested. » « Even to-day the population still does not know what has become of the patriot leaders Julio Afonso Issaias Kamatuke, Cunha, Alfredo Benga, Loureiro Joao Sequeria and their families9. » It therefore seems that it is no longer possible to cast any doubt on the existence of emancipation movements in the Portuguese colonies. Though clandestine, they nevertheless conduct incessant action for the liberation of the country. Then how is it possible to explain these professions of faith « unity and integrity of the nation, social peace, equality between Angolans, Goans and Portuguese, etc... » too often repeated not to conceal a lamentable truth ? Only a profound study of the Portuguese colonial tradition, and the political, social and economic structure of Portugal, the ideology of the present Portuguese leaders and the economic and political relations between Portugal and its colonies could explain them. That obviously goes beyond the scope of this record. We will confine ourselves to recalling that Portugal itself remains an under-developed country. Fascist dictatorship backed by the unhappily celebrated P.I.D.E. (Political Police) and the Army has reigned there for more than thirty years. It is with the hacking of this structure that the Government pursues an obsolete and outdated colonial policy which still feeds on the « greatness » of the age of discovery. The handful of concessions made by the Portuguese leaders are no more than eye-wash for the benefit of world opinion, including the change of name from « colonies » to « Overseas Provinces » in 1961. Professor Adriano Moreira, Director of the Higher Institue of Overseas Studies, in his work « Politica-Ultramarina » p. 284, commenting on this change of label, writes; « The international problem was not absent from our minds when we discussed the repeal of the Colonial Act and the integration of its provisions in the constitutional enactment itself, which had so far limited itself to specifying the constitutional nature of the provisions of the Colonial Act10. » In support of his wishes, Professor Adriano Moreira cites, among others, the speech of the deputy, Miguel Baston in the debate in • Speech by the U.P.A. Delegate at the Peoples' Congress, Accra, December 10 Published by the Overseas Research Department, Lisbon. " ' ' " "■'""' ' ' '" ' |
Archival file | Volume19/CENPA-316~03.tiff |