Cabral, Amílcar, 1924-1973

Amílcar Cabral (b. September 12, 1924, Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau–d. January 20, 1973, Conakry, Guinea-Bissau) was also known as Abel Djassi. He was a Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, intellectual, revolutionary, political organizer, and diplomat; Cabral led the nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde Islands and the ensuing war of independence in Guinea-Bissau. While studying agronomy at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon, Portugal, he founded s student movement dedicated to opposing the ruling dictatorship of Portugal and promoting the cause of independence for the Portuguese colonies in Africa. After Cabral's return to Africa in the 1950s, he was instrumental in promoting the independence causes of the then Portuguese colonies. In 1956, he founded the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) and the MPLA (Movimento Popular Libertação de Angola) with Agostinho Neto. Carbal was also an asset of the Czechoslovak State Security (StB), and under the codename "Secretary", providing intelligence information. He led the PAIGC's guerrilla movement against the Portuguese government, which evolved into one of the most successful wars of independence in modern African history. Cabral was assassinated on January 20, 1973.