Portugal was the last of the European colonial powers to lose its empire in Africa. Even in the 1960s, when the majority of the colonies on the continent had already become independent, the authoritarian regime under dictator António Salazar clung to its overseas territories; attempts at autonomy were fought with the use of the military. It was not until the Carnation Revolution in 1974 that Portuguese colonial rule in Africa came to an end: in the following year, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Angola gained their independence. This step had become unavoidable due to the horrendous expenses for the colonial wars as well as international pressure. Among the factors that contributed to the independence of the Portuguese colonies that have hardly been analysed so far are the manifestations of inter-African solidarity. Since 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) had been an international association of the newly formed African states, whose founding goals included the elimination of all forms of colonialism on the continent. To this end, the OAU, the predecessor organisation of the African Union, set up a liberation committee based in Tanzania in the same year, which had its own budget to support and coordinate the anti-colonial resistance movements.
South-South Solidarity and the National Liberation Movements from Portuguese Colonies, 1963–1975
Amílcar Cabral and other leaders of the Cape Verdean and Guinean independence movement PAIGC at the reception of the OAU delegation in Conakry, circa 1972An interdisciplinary team of scholars from European, African and Brazilian universities aims to close this research gap and provide an accurate picture of the role of the OAU in the liberation struggle of the Portuguese colonies. As part of the two-year project, the group, led by historian Dr Aurora Almada e Santos, is investigating how the various organisational levels supported the individual liberation movements. The first focus of analysis is on intergovernmental interactions in the central bodies of the OAU: to what extent did it provide a platform for individual member states to advance their own agendas of anti-colonial policy? The controversies conducted here and the uncooperative attitude of individual states had an impact on the work of the subordinate organisational units - the second object of investigation. Communication with the resistance groups and the distribution of resources took place via the Liberation Committee in Dar es Salaam and its branch office in Zambia. In a third step, the focus shifts to the national liberation movements themselves. How did the protagonists in the Portuguese colonies respond to the solidarity provided by the OAU? And how could they benefit from their contacts with the OAU in their conflicts with rival anti-colonial groups?
Olu Adesola, Secretary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Liberation Committee, making a statement to the United Nations Special Committee of 24 on decolonization, in Lusaka, Zambia, April 20, 1972.In order to find answers to these questions, the researchers are conducting archival studies in seven African countries as as well as in Portugal. Oral history methods will also be used. Interviews with former OAU employees and representatives of the resistance movements are planned. Not only will the knowledge of this early phase of post-colonial foreign policy in Africa be expanded in this way, but sources will also be opened up for future generations of researchers. The research findings will be presented at international conferences and published in a series of specialised articles.
Head of project
Dr Aurora Almade e Santos
Institution
NOVA University Lisbon
Support
The Gerda Henkel Foundation supports the project by granting a research scholarship and covering travel and material costs.
This project was documented in spring 2024.