nationalist leaders estimate actual
number o^ such Africans as well
over 1,000,000.
hi April 1961 the "Democratic
Union of Mozambique" a settler
liberal organisation, issued a manifesto over the signature of 70
people calling upon Salazar to grant,
Mozambique colonial autonomy,.
end forced labour and set-up a
multi-racial state in a Portuguese
Commonwealth.
POLITICAL PARTIES
These liberals believe that autonomy can only come from a change
in Portugal. They assert that such
a change cannot come about
without the help of the Portuguese
army.
Dora Sabastiao Soapes de Re-
sende, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Beira, is a.recognised
leader of unorganised settler opposition to Salazar policies.
The bishop, who owns the Beira
Diario, Mozambique's only" liberal
daily newspaper, is also the author
of a book exposing thc exploitation
of Africans in the cotton and rice
plantations.
"Of course, nationalism will come
in time, people will hear about what
is happening on their borders, in
Tanganyika and Nyasaland. You
cannot seal a country off for ever.
People" grow, even here and they
will sooner or later demand change."
A young Portuguese frankly told
Gunther this in 1953.
And now African nationalism has
come. The Angolan Freedom War
is costing Salazar one-third of the
national income of his underdeveloped country.' He must now
sorely be :egretting the fact that his
predecessors did not accept the
British offer of £3,000,000 in the
1900s for the purchase of that colony.
Within Mozambique itself
there are reported to be such African political organisations as the
Socialist Catholic Party (Inhambane), the Progressive Union (Manica and Sofala region), the Democratic African Movement (Zambezia) and the Mukana Union of
Mozambique (Porto Amelia).
The most important Mozambican
African political organisation is the
Union Democratica National de
Mozambique — Udenamo — which
represents the interest of the 6,500
OUO Aincans in Mozambique ana is
actively supported by tiie over
1,000,000 Mozambicans in Tanganyika, Kenya Malawi, Z a m D i a
and Rhoacsia, and tiie Union of
South Africa.
In a 2,000—word statement submitted to the President of tiie
Sixteenth Session (1961) of the
United Nations General Assembly
the Central Committee of UDENAMO states, inter alia, that it:
CATEGORICALLY REJECTS.
The view that the colony of Mozambique is an overseas province of
Portugal, a decision to which the
6,500,000 were never at any stage, a
party; OPENLY DENOUNCES
as a diabolical fabrication and deliberate falsehood the widely' circulated claim of the Government of
Portugal that the African people
enjoy the same basic rights as any-
Portuguese citizen;
THEIR DEMANDS
STRONGLY CONDEMNS the
economic exploitation, political
oppression and social degradation to
which the African people have been
ruthlessly subjected under Portuguese colonial rule;
VEHEMENTLY DEPLORES
the dark record of Portuguese
savage colonialism which has been
'marked by naked fascist repression
savage colonialist brutality and a
stark organized terrorism.
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC UNION OF MOZAMBIQUE
demands:— The immediate withdrawal of all Portuguese armed
forces and civil militia and Portuguese Gestapo from the Mozambique territory.
The forthwith dismantling of all
military and communication bases
inimical to the interests of the
African people from Mozambique
territory;
The immediate overthrow of
Portuguese colonialism and the
granting of complete independence
to Mozambique on the basis of one
man, one vote. In the event of
Portugal to accede to the foregoing,
demands,
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC UNION MOZAMBIQUE
urges: The member-states of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisa-
hstion (NATO) to expel the Government of Portugal from membership of the said organisation;
The United Nations to expel the
Government of Portugal from membership of all its organs and sub-'
organs;
The United Nations to set up a
committee to enquire with or without the co-operation of Government
of Portugal into the situation in Mozambique, and to make recommendations which will, with the co-operation of the National Democratic
Union of Mozambique, lead to the
implementation  of its demands.
In their articles of constitution
referred to as "statutes" the National Democratic Union of Mozambique (UDENAMO) is defined as a
political organisation constituted by
Mozambicans, without any discrimination of.sex, ethnical origin religious belief or place of residence.
The fourth article 'declares the
aims and objects of UDENAMO to
be:
* Total liquidation of Portuguese
colonial domination in Mozambique and of all traces of any
colonialist or imperialist relation.
* Gain of immediate and total
independence for Mozambique
* Defence and realisation of the
claims set up by all the people
of Mozambique coming from
any racial layers enduring oppression or exploitation from
any part of the Portuguese
colonial regime, particularly
claims set up by peasant and
(Working masses.
UDENAMO, states the fifth
article, mobilizes, organises and unites all patriots of Mozambique and
proclaims the necessity of the union
of all patriotic forces in Mozambique.
The structure of the UDENAMO
is based upon thc nation, province
district, locality and circle. The circle
is the basic unit of organisation and
may be at work or home.
22      VOICE OF AFRICA