What is now Mozambique was first encountered by the Europeans after the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama arrived there in the late 15th century. Portugal's influence in East Africa flourished during the 16th century, with the setting up several colonies known collectively as Portuguese East Africa.
This presence resulted in the displacement of the indigenous Bantu tribes. Moreover, the natives were forced into slavery when trade was established between Europeans and Arabs.
Portuguese colonialism in the region reached its zenith by the end of the 19th century, after the monarchy lost control of their former colony Brazil.
Although slavery was later legally abolished in Mozambique by the Portuguese colonial authorities, in the late 19th century Portuguese companies pursued a policy of forced labor and supplied cheap – often forced – African labor to the mines and plantations of other European colonies in Africa, while taxing the local population.
In 1926, the political and economic crisis in Portugal led to the birth of the Second Republic and a renewed interest in the African colonies.
Calls for Independence
Calls for self-determination in Mozambique emerged shortly after World War II, in light of the independence granted to many other colonies around the world.
Although Portugal altered Mozambique’s status from that of a colony to an overseas province in 1951 to show the world that it was conferring it greater autonomy, pro-independence sentiment was growing in the Southern African country.
The indigenous population continued to be exploited, and there was also a great disparity in income between the wealthy Portuguese settlers and the majority of the indigenous Africans.
Finally, a large number of native peoples saw European culture as a threat to their national traditions.
On June 25, 1962, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) was formed in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in neighboring Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). It was established during a convention of Mozambican politicians who had been forced to leave the country and was headed by Eduardo Mondlane.
The Front started to promote Mozambican independence from Portugal and after two years switched to guerrilla warfare tactics.
FRELIMO Struggle
FRELIMO launched guerrilla attacks on targets in northern Mozambique from its base in Tanzania in 1964.
During heavy rains, the insurgents were much harder to track from the air, which negated Portuguese air superiority.
In addition, the rains and muddy weather interfered with the movement of Portuguese troops and vehicles. In contrast, the rebels knew the terrain well and could always count on the population to shelter them and supply them with food.
As the number of insurgents soared, in order to gain public support, Mondlane turned to the Soviet Union and China for humanitarian aid. Along with food supplies, he received large-caliber machine guns, anti-tank rifles, 75mm recoilless guns and 122mm howitzers.
In 1968, the second FRELIMO Congress declared a close victory for the rebels, although the Portuguese bombed the site of the congress at the end of the day.
Murder of Mondlane
In 1969, Eduardo Mondlane was killed in an explosion at his headquarters. According to some sources, the leader of The Front had received a book in the mail with an explosive device in it that detonated when he opened it.
Although the exact details of the assassination remain disputed, the involvement of the Portuguese government, particularly the secret police, is accepted by most historians.
The new leader of The Front became the socialist Samora Machel, who had a more radical vision of the struggle against Portugal.
Machel also appreciated the help of Moscow and Beijing, hailing them as "the ones who will really help us." About 1,600 military instructors from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and East Germany came to the country to assist The Front.
In 1970-1974, FRELIMO conducted guerrilla actions mainly in the urban area, laying mines. The insurgents relied on a variety of Soviet-made anti-tank and anti-personnel mines during the conflict.
By 1972, the Portuguese military had changed its strategy and switched to sweeping tactics.
At the end of the year, the Portuguese massacred villagers in the village of Viriamu in Tete Province. According to various sources, between 150 and 300 people died, all unarmed.
Gaining Independence
In the meantime, Portugal saw a growing aversion to the colonial war in Africa.
The war consumed 42% of the Portuguese budget, which resulted in the growing domestic discontent.
The unrest in Portugal ended on April 25, 1974, when the Revolution of Carnations, a peaceful leftist military coup in Lisbon, overthrew the government of Marcelo Caetano.
The new head of government, General Antonio de Spinola, called for a cease-fire. With the change of government in Lisbon, many soldiers in Mozambique refused to continue the war, staying in barracks and not going out on patrol.
Negotiations between the Portuguese and the rebels ended with the Lusaka Agreement, signed on September 7, 1974, which provided for the transfer of power to FRELIMO.
The Independence of Mozambique was declared on June 25, 1975, the 13th anniversary of the founding of FRELIMO.
Mozambique Today
The 48th anniversary of Independence Day is a great opportunity for Mozambique to recall the unity of the people of the South African nation against common threats.
The issue has been particularly relevant in recent years, with the terrorist groups Ansar al-Sunna and ISCAP (a division of the Islamic State, banned in Russia) seeking to create an Islamist state on Mozambican territory.
Since 2017, more than 3,000 people have been killed by terrorists in the north of that country, according to the UN, and 900,000 have become refugees.
Yet according to Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose country, along with military contingents from other Southern African Development Community countries, has been helping Mozambicans fight terrorists since 2021, "the security problem is 80% solved there."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also offered to help Mozambique, saying during a visit to the capital Maputo in May that Moscow is ready to supply the necessary military equipment to Mozambique to improve the country's defense capabilities and aid in the fight against terrorism.