Che Guevara's Congo Mission: Legendary Revolutionary Who Left Deep Imprint on African Liberation

In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Tomás Alberto Escandon Carvajal, a communications technician who worked alongside Che Guevara during the revolutionary leader's 1965 mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, offered insights into Guevara's global perspective and the Cuban Revolution's impact on African anti-colonial movements.

He highlighted Guevara's commitment to global anti-colonialism, even extending his focus beyond Latin America, demonstrating the interconnectedness of struggles against imperialism across continents.

"Che's trajectory since he was very young, he was fighting against colonialism, against imperialism and participating directly in that struggle in many places, with outstanding results in the case of the Cuban Revolution," Escandón said. "His criteria was that we had to continue fighting and supporting the struggle in other countries, which is where the mission in the Congo, where I participated, comes from."

Escandon detailed the role of the second most important figure of the Cuban revolution in training Congolese fighters in guerrilla warfare and establishing crucial communications links with Cuba. "The teams had decided that it was Soviet equipment, and I was a specialist in that equipment and at that time," he recalled.

"The Cuban Revolution had a lot of links with the African movements... Here in Cuba, he met with several of the African leaders, the activists of the African countries that were colonies at that time," Escandón said. "They visited Cuba because the Cuban Revolution was and is characterized by solidarity and collaboration with all countries or revolutionary movements… then Che decided that he would make a tour of Africa."

Escandón concluded by emphasizing the continued validity of the revolutionary leader's ideas in the face of contemporary challenges. "Che and Fidel Castro are [valuable] figure ... So those things about the figure of Che and his approaches at that time and Fidel's ones are still valid. Young people should read the things they wrote, the actions that Fidel and Che carried out."

A Symbol of the Struggle for Freedom for All Peoples of the Global South

Che Guevara's legacy is considered a "symbol of the struggles for freedom of all peoples of the South" and all the peoples that "have had a long history of struggle for their freedom and for social justice," Professor Frank Josué Solar Cabrales, of the Universidad de Oriente in Santiago de Cuba, told Sputnik Africa.

Cuba's efforts to support decolonization movements around the world went beyond mere rhetoric, according to the historian, and actively supported African liberation struggles.

"The Cuban Revolution was a powerful example that surprised many at the time because they had just made a revolution 90 miles away from imperialism, from the United States," the professor said. "That became an example that multiplied first of all in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia, in various places around the world."

Prof. Cabrales added, "There is even a very beautiful phrase of Fidel in a speech of the first years of the Revolution where Fidel says that 'we do not want to build a paradise on the slopes of a volcano,' in other words, we are not only interested in social justice, in the freedom of Cubans, but in fighting for the freedom of all peoples, starting with Latin America, but also for our brothers, for our brother peoples of Africa, of Asia."

The academician further explained that while the process of decolonization of Africa had begun in the 1950s, the Cuban Revolution (1952-1959) and its figures provided a significant impetus. He argued that the influence of the revolution went beyond political independence, advocating a complete break with economic, social, and cultural ties to former colonizers.

"Then, throughout the following decades, Cuba, its support will not be limited only to this armed support, but Cuba, and I repeat, will be vital in the independence of Angola, of Namibia, of several of these colonies, which in turn will also influence revolutionary processes in Europe, as in Portugal, the Carnation Revolution," Prof. Cabrales stated.

Continued, "Che and Fidel, more than to the past, belong above all to the future … The values that they embody, are ideas that are more valid today than ever … because our peoples still have to continue fighting for their true and definitive independence, for their true and definitive social justice."

Unsuccessful Immediate Goals & Lasting Impact

Congo's central geographic location and the hope that support for its revolutionary movements would spread throughout the African continent were the strategic goals of Ernesto Che Guevara's mission to the country, Cuban historian Demirel Alfonso Lopez told Sputnik Africa on the anniversary of the end of Che's mission to the Congo on November 21, 1965.

"The intention was in some way to advise, to articulate in a better way a revolutionary movement that was taking place in the Congo," Lopez said. "And the idea was to support that movement against the government that had been established after independence, but which was the government that represented more the colonial interests of the former Belgian metropolis or the North American imperialist interests."

The historian explained that Guevara's efforts to unite the fragmented revolutionary movement in the Congo included attempts to communicate with revolutionary leader Patrice Lumumba, who was later assassinated a few months before Che's arrival in the African country in April 1965.

However, internal divisions within the Congolese revolutionary movement and a Che's lack of understanding of local realities in the DR Congo hampered progress, ultimately leading to his withdrawal. The mission, while unsuccessful in its immediate goals, had a lasting impact, according to Lopez.

"I do believe that the revolutionary seed, the example of the Cuban Revolution, the example of Che himself as that model of revolutionary, as an example of great guerrilla fighter, of great strategist, left a very big footprint on the African continent," Lopez explained.

He stressed that Guevara's established international reputation as a revolutionary figure, further amplified by his UN appearances, ensured his impact transcended his time in the Congo.

López highlighted the enduring relevance of Guevara's symbol in global protests, particularly in Africa, where numerous challenges remain and his ideals continue to resonate strongly, suggesting a long-lasting legacy beyond the mission's immediate failure.