5th anniversary of death of Amilcar Cabral - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1978 - 20 Pfennig

In memory of Amilcar Cabral To commemorate Amilcar Cabral, the African freedom fighter and patriot from Guinea-Bissau, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic issues a multicolored special postage stamp. Special cancellation from 17 January to 16 March 1978 Amilcar Cabral Amilcar Cabral was born on 12 September 1924 in the town of Bafatá in the heart of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (then Portuguese colony). After attending the elementary school there, he completed secondary school in the Cape Verde Islands, from where his parents had emigrated. A grant, which was granted him for his good achievements, enabled from 1945 a study of agricultural sciences in Lisbon. His intense effort to familiarize himself with the progressive political and cultural currents of his time, his participation in the peace struggle and the progressive youth movement, and his acquaintance with Marxism-Leninism formed his revolutionary consciousness. Since 1949 he began to work actively against the Portuguese colonial rule. He especially used his function as head of the agricultural department of the colonial administration in Bissau (1952 to 1954). The political organizations founded by him to mobilize the masses for anti-colonial struggle were banned by the colonial power. In 1955 A.Cabral had to leave Guinea Bissau. Based on the recognition that the legal methods of political struggle had proved in view of the brutal colonial rule was not appropriate, he founded on September 19, 1956, the "African Party of Independence" (PAI), which worked in illegality. It set itself the goal of shaking off the Portuguese colonial yoke and gaining independence from Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. Amilcar Cabral has been active in the democratic and anti-colonial movement in Portugal, Angola and other Portuguese colonies. After the brutal suppression of the strike of the dockers of Pidjiguiti, in 1959, which killed more than 50 workers, A. Cabral returned illegally to Guinea-Bissau. The leadership of the PAI now decided to move to the methods of armed struggle inside the country. At an illegal consultation, A. Cabral was elected secretary-general in 1960. The party now called itself "African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde" (PAIGC). In the implementation of the decision on the armed struggle he created in the neighboring republic of Guinea a basis for political and military actions as well as for the cadre training. At the international level, he organized an active fight against Portuguese colonialism. This led u. a. establishing a common battle front for the liberation movements in the Portuguese colonies in Africa. Under the leadership of A. Cabral, the PAIGC went on January 23, 1963 to armed struggle. Shortly after the first congress of the PAIGC in 1964, 40 per cent of the territory of Guinea Bissau was liberated. In 1972 it was already 80 to 90 percent. Thus, during the armed struggle, elections could be held for the first time and a democratic national popular assembly could be formed, an expression of the political strength of the PAIGC and its people. This People's Assembly proclaimed on September 24, 1973, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Amilcar Cabral did not live the day of independence anymore. On January 20, 1973, he was murdered by serving in the service of the Portuguese colonial system mercenaries. A flaming patriot and ardent internationalist, a heroic warrior against colonialism and imperialism, and an eminent leader of the African liberation movement, A. Cabral has gone down in history. He has made a great contribution to the formation of the PAIGC, which has written down the elimination of man's exploitation of man. In international life he worked tirelessly for peace and the realization of the principles of peaceful coexistence. He acquired great merit in consolidating the anti-imperialist alliance between the socialist community and the national liberation movement. A. Cabral was u. a. Member of the Presidium of the World Peace Council and received high honors.