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Some of the peasants in the liberated zones tend to forget that there is a war going on. I asked Samora whether FRELIMO was aware of this problem and he said that it was a problem of prolonged war. FRELIMO is combatting this problem by involving the peasants more and more in the war of liberation and by political education. ((One of the advantages of last year's offensive was that it helped us to remind the peasants that the war of liberation had not yet been won)) - he said. FRELIMO'S Peoples Liberation Army is an army with a difference. Titles such as major, captain or sergeant, are scorned. Everybody refers to each other as ((Comrade)). All the time there is movement with arms within easy reach. Yet the atmosphere is completely relaxed with comrades cracking jokes about everything, including their war of liberation. The Portuguese are definitely aware of the existence of the FRELIMO military bases. It is their exact location that they do not know. Whenever they fancy ideas of their whereabouts, they try to destroy them by dropping bombs on their imaginary targets. But not always. The Portuguese may know of the existence of a military base and yet refrain from any attempts at bombing it. This restraint has been forced on them through the loss of their aircraft and men from the strong anti-aircraft fire that stands guard on some of the bases. Besides, FRELIMO's military bases are not permanently located in one place. Like the army itself, the bases too are always on the move. This constant movement of FRELIMO's freedom fighters and their bases is in fact the deciding strategy. ((Constant mobility)) is the guerrilla term for it. The first base which we visited had only been constructed a couple of months ago. It could be moved to another location within short notice. FRELIMO has to feed about 20,000 freedom fighters. Where does it get the food to feed all these people? I saw part of the answer on our way to the Central Base. The land on the other side of the range of mountains in the Niassa region is very fertile. It is particularly good for the cultivation of rice. We passed by large acres which were planted with rice maize and beans. A number of shambas belong to the freedom fighters themselves. We actually stopped for a few minutes that morning to give a hand to comrades engaged in agriculture work. They are not waiting for external help before facing one of the most important elements of any war. Napoleon once said that ((every army marches on its stomach.)) The participation of the army in food production is providing a good example to the peasants. The drive for more food production can be seen everywhere. This year is not a bad one, there has been plenty of rain and freedom fighters and peasants alike have expanded their shambas. There are also what are called ((Production bases». In these bases all those combatants who for one reason or another cannot go to the front, take to the land to produce food for their comrades. THE next morning, May 17 we started off again in the same direction. We were now covering areas different from anything we had seen so far. Here and there we could see traces cf abandoned home steads and shambas. We started to make contact with small population that live in tiny villages separated by miles of bush- land. It is one thing to march with a group of armed revolutionaries through territory which they claim to control. It is another when you come across peasants who tell you with confidence that they are free from Portuguese control. Only then does one start to realise the reality of the situation. THESE impromptu meetings of freedom fighters and peasants are moving scenes. Elders would converge around Samora Machel, some touching him in the way grand-fathers welcome their hero-sons. Mothers come to inquire about their sons serving with FRELIMO in other parts of Mozambique, while the young ones just stand around admiring the soldiers. THE question is sometimes asked even by well-meaning people, whether FRELIMO has the support of the people of Mozambique? It is not a question of support. Everybody is involved. Peasants brought us chicken, sugarcanes, and flour as we passed through their villages. They would join the marching columns to listen to news about the development of liberation in other areas. They offered to carry the load of the guerrillas and advised them on the best sites for camping. It was spontaneous and none of those speeches about the need to rally around FRELIMO and drive out the Portuguese were heard. Everybody understood why. It is the HOW that they talk about Only by careful observation could I distinguish between the peasants and the guerrillas, otherwise everybody was ((comrade)). The Tanzanian journalist at a FRELIMO base
Object Description
Title | Mozambique revolution, no. 47 (1971 May-June) |
Description | Contents: The truth that Portugal cannot conceal - Editorial (p. 1); Reports from the military front (p. 3); The freedom struggle - as the people see it - a people's meeting in Tete province (p. 6); Josina you are not dead (p.11); Marching with FRELIMO - Dar Students visit free Mozambique (p.12); A journalist in search of the facts - Articles by a Tanzanian journalist (p.14); Report on Guinea-Bissau by a frelimo delegation (p.16); The UN must face the NATO's challenge - FRELIMO's meeting with UN committee (p.18); Mueda must not be forgotten (p. 20); The forces of reaction close their ranks (p. 21); But the opposition grows (p. 22). |
Subject (lcsh) |
Nationalism -- Mozambique Self-determination, National Mozambique -- History Portugal -- Politics and government -- 1933-1974 |
Geographic Subject (Country) | Mozambique |
Geographic Subject (Continent) | Africa |
Geographic Coordinates | -18.6696821,35.5273466 |
Coverage date | 1955/1971-07 |
Creator | Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) |
Publisher (of the Original Version) | Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). Department of Information |
Place of Publication (of the Origianal Version) | Dar Es Salaam, U.R. of Tanzania |
Publisher (of the Digital Version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
Date issued | 1971-05/1971-06 |
Type |
texts images |
Format | 28 p. |
Format (aat) | newsletters |
Language | English |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Part of collection | Emerging Nationalism in Portuguese Africa, 1959-1965 |
Part of subcollection | Mozambique Collection |
Rights | The University of Southern California has licensed the rights to this material from the Aluka initiative of Ithaka Harbors, Inc., a non-profit Delaware corporation whose address is 151 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10021 |
Physical access | Original archive is at the Boeckmann Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies. Send requests to address or e-mail given. Phone (213) 821-2366; fax (213) 740-2343. |
Repository Name | USC Libraries Special Collections |
Repository Address | Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 |
Repository Email | specol@usc.edu |
Filename | CENPA-345 |
Description
Title | CENPA-345~17 |
Filename | CENPA-345~17.tiff |
Full text | Some of the peasants in the liberated zones tend to forget that there is a war going on. I asked Samora whether FRELIMO was aware of this problem and he said that it was a problem of prolonged war. FRELIMO is combatting this problem by involving the peasants more and more in the war of liberation and by political education. ((One of the advantages of last year's offensive was that it helped us to remind the peasants that the war of liberation had not yet been won)) - he said. FRELIMO'S Peoples Liberation Army is an army with a difference. Titles such as major, captain or sergeant, are scorned. Everybody refers to each other as ((Comrade)). All the time there is movement with arms within easy reach. Yet the atmosphere is completely relaxed with comrades cracking jokes about everything, including their war of liberation. The Portuguese are definitely aware of the existence of the FRELIMO military bases. It is their exact location that they do not know. Whenever they fancy ideas of their whereabouts, they try to destroy them by dropping bombs on their imaginary targets. But not always. The Portuguese may know of the existence of a military base and yet refrain from any attempts at bombing it. This restraint has been forced on them through the loss of their aircraft and men from the strong anti-aircraft fire that stands guard on some of the bases. Besides, FRELIMO's military bases are not permanently located in one place. Like the army itself, the bases too are always on the move. This constant movement of FRELIMO's freedom fighters and their bases is in fact the deciding strategy. ((Constant mobility)) is the guerrilla term for it. The first base which we visited had only been constructed a couple of months ago. It could be moved to another location within short notice. FRELIMO has to feed about 20,000 freedom fighters. Where does it get the food to feed all these people? I saw part of the answer on our way to the Central Base. The land on the other side of the range of mountains in the Niassa region is very fertile. It is particularly good for the cultivation of rice. We passed by large acres which were planted with rice maize and beans. A number of shambas belong to the freedom fighters themselves. We actually stopped for a few minutes that morning to give a hand to comrades engaged in agriculture work. They are not waiting for external help before facing one of the most important elements of any war. Napoleon once said that ((every army marches on its stomach.)) The participation of the army in food production is providing a good example to the peasants. The drive for more food production can be seen everywhere. This year is not a bad one, there has been plenty of rain and freedom fighters and peasants alike have expanded their shambas. There are also what are called ((Production bases». In these bases all those combatants who for one reason or another cannot go to the front, take to the land to produce food for their comrades. THE next morning, May 17 we started off again in the same direction. We were now covering areas different from anything we had seen so far. Here and there we could see traces cf abandoned home steads and shambas. We started to make contact with small population that live in tiny villages separated by miles of bush- land. It is one thing to march with a group of armed revolutionaries through territory which they claim to control. It is another when you come across peasants who tell you with confidence that they are free from Portuguese control. Only then does one start to realise the reality of the situation. THESE impromptu meetings of freedom fighters and peasants are moving scenes. Elders would converge around Samora Machel, some touching him in the way grand-fathers welcome their hero-sons. Mothers come to inquire about their sons serving with FRELIMO in other parts of Mozambique, while the young ones just stand around admiring the soldiers. THE question is sometimes asked even by well-meaning people, whether FRELIMO has the support of the people of Mozambique? It is not a question of support. Everybody is involved. Peasants brought us chicken, sugarcanes, and flour as we passed through their villages. They would join the marching columns to listen to news about the development of liberation in other areas. They offered to carry the load of the guerrillas and advised them on the best sites for camping. It was spontaneous and none of those speeches about the need to rally around FRELIMO and drive out the Portuguese were heard. Everybody understood why. It is the HOW that they talk about Only by careful observation could I distinguish between the peasants and the guerrillas, otherwise everybody was ((comrade)). The Tanzanian journalist at a FRELIMO base |
Archival file | Volume21/CENPA-345~17.tiff |