Women of the Portuguese Guinea Liberation War

Front matter

De-gendering the History of Anticolonial Struggle ii

De-gendering the History of Anticolonial Struggle

Aliou Ly

Contents

List of Figures Bibliographical Abbreviations Acknowledgments

Introduction My New Focus or Reasons for a Changing Focus on the Guinea Bissau Liberation War Scholarly Approach, Liberation Wars, and Female Participation Marxism and Charismatic Leadership Female Participants Voices and Narratives Academia and Gender Biases Biases Implications The New Approach and Methodology Structure of the Book

1 Colonial Policies and Women in Portuguese Guinea, 1938-62 Women in Pre-Colonial Guinea Bissau Colonial Administration and Gendered Roles Women and Anti-Colonial Organizations, 1938-62 Women and Anti-Colonial Organizations, 1938-59 Women and the PAIGC, 1959-62

Index

67 68 69 70 73

78 80

81 81 84 85 88 89 93

95 95 100 104

111 113

115 127 129 161 195

Figures

PAIGC Headquarters in Bissau (Photo Aliou Ly 2008)

Joanita Da Silva Rosa. During a direct combat operation in the southern front she lost her right eye and was sent to La Havana for medical treatment (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Joanita Da Silva Rosa, ID card as veteran of the liberation war (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

NDo Mane, Na Ndjati and Udé Camara, veterans of the liberation war, waiting to get their veteran pension in Bissau

(Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Quinta Da Costa and Segunda Sambu, both veterans of the liberation war, waiting to get their pension in Bissau

(Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Quinta Da Costa, veteran who was shot in her left leg during the liberation war. After the war she was nominated Captain in the Bissau Guinean Army (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Barnaté Shana was under the commandment of Osvaldo Vieira

in the eastern front. He lost his eye during combat. He was one of the fierce opponents of female participation in combat operations (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Remembering the 1959 Pijiguiti Massacre in Bissau, August 3, 2010 (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Remembering the 1959 Pijiguiti Massacre in Bissau, August 3, 2010 (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

Remembering the 1959 Pijiguiti Massacre in Bissau, August 3, 2010 (Photo Aliou Ly 2010)

ANP CP

CSL

FAL

FARP

FRELIMO INCIDI

JAAC

MLCP

PAIGC

PDCI/RDA

PIDE

SFIO

Bibliographical Abbreviations

National Popular Assembly Permanent Commission

Conselho Superior de Luta / Superior Council for the Fight/ Executive Committee of the Struggle/Highest Council of the Struggle

Forgas Armadas Locais / Local Armed Force

Forças Armadas Revolucionárias do Povo / People’s Revolutionary Army

Front for the Liberation of Mozambique International Institute of Differing Civilizations

Juventude Africana Amilcar Cabral / Amílcar Cabral’s African Youth

Movimento pela Libertaçäo das Colénias Portuguesas / Movement for the Liberation of the Portuguese Colonies

Partido Africano da Independencia da Guine e Cabo Verde / African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

Parti Démocratique de Côte D’Ivoire-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain / Ivory Coast Democratic Party section of the African Democratic Rassemblement

Policia Internacional e de Defesa Do Estado / Portuguese Colonial Police

Section Française de l'Internationale Ouvriére / French Section of the International Workers Organization

UDEMU

UNTG

ZANU

Bibliographical Abbreviations xi União Democrática das Mulheres da Guiné e Cabo Verde / Democratic Union of the Women of Guinea and Cabo Verde

União Nacional dos Trabalhadores de Guiné / National Union of

Workers of Guinea Bissau

Zimbabwe African National Union

Acknowledgments

This book would not be possible without the unconditional support of my late parents: my father; Abdoulaye Bocar Ly and my mother Oureye Hamath Thiam. When they migrated from the Peulh/Fulani region along the Senegal River to Dakar in the late 1940s, my father saw that without a Francophone education, he missed opportunities for good jobs in Dakar and to be more involved in the future of his country and the anti-colonial movement. He therefore decided that at all costs his children, boys and girls, would complete their Francophone education and be fully committed to that journey. He and my mother never shied away from that decision. Today, every family gathering is a cause for my siblings and I to recognize how lucky we were to have those parents and their educational commitment to us. In fact, all our neighbors in the Quartier Champs de Courses I, Pikine, Dakar recognized this, and played their part in our education. Yes, it takes a village to raise a child. Through my parents Abdoulaye Bocar Ly and Oureye Hamath Thiam, I thank all my siblings and the neighbors in Pikine for supporting and loving me throughout my journey. My family and the Pikine neighborhood represent everything for me and made me who I am today.

The Senegalese educational system included great teachers, administrators, and staff people who made this journey possible. Special thanks to my primary schoolteachers Mr. Diéye and Mr. Mbaye. Thanks to secondary school teachers Mr. Bangoura, who awoke my interest in history and geography, and Mr. Teixeira, who helped me develop responsibility, organization, and method. My experience with the US education system has proven to me how good and how undervalued Senegal’s educational system is.

My journey in the United States would not have happened without Leslie and Merle Rabine, Joan and Thomas Klammer, Lydia Chavez, and Mark Rabine. Dr. Leslie Rabine and I met in Dakar. Since that meeting, she, Merle Rabine, Joan, and Dr. Thomas Klammer have been valuable mentors and advisors— and my American family. They have been my rock through this US journey. They are always there when I need them and have provided advice and comfort.

Acknowledgments xiii

A tiny fraction of immigrants in the United States receives the support and extraordinary life experience that I have had with this group of exceptional persons, who embrace me as their own son. I cannot thank them enough, especially my spiritual “Badien” [my spiritual father’s sister] Leslie Rabine. My experience as a master’s student at California State University, Fullerton was fulfilling because Dr. Klammer, then Dean of the College of Humanities, took me under his wing, while Christine Pirsche-Barnes, CSU Fullerton American Language Program Advisor, adopted me as her brother.

From my doctoral education at the University of California, Davis, History Department, I give special thanks to Dr. Benjamin Lawrance, the late Dr. Cynthia Brantley, and Dr. Moradewun Adejunmobi, for their constant support. Thanks also for their support to my UC Davis African History graduate student group: Baba G. Jallow, Nathan Carpenter, Marcus Filippello, Joanna Tague, and Chau Kelly, as well as fellow grad student Michael Collins.

My deepest thanks to my eldest brother Bocar Ly who facilitated my stay in Bissau during all my years of fieldwork in that lovely and warm country. Big thanks to Armando and Felicidade Brito Abelha, Mr. Sy, his nephew Adama Sy, and Joao Fadia’s (El Hadji) families. They graciously and warmly housed me. They gave support, advice, and incommensurable help in introducing me to Bissau Guineans, which furthered my research projects. Unforgettable are the discussions I had with the two Brunos, Da Costa and Abelha, on the front porch of Abelhas house at Bissau's Barrio Luanda. Thanks to Juliao Lopes Mané, whom I met at the PAIGC headquarters on my first visit there, and who gave me meaningful guidance through my research project. He has become a good brother and friend.

For the completion of this manuscript, big thanks to Drs. Benjamin Lawrance, Toby Green, Philipp Havik, William Waters, Thomas Klammer, Leslie Rabine, Joanna Tague, Marcus Filippello, Nathan Carpenters, and Moses Klevor. Some were testing grounds for new ideas, concepts, and theories. Some read, edited, and commented on the many versions. Dr. Benjamin Lawrance, my PhD Chair, continues to provide constant support.

For the editing of this book, I would like to thank Meredith Murray and the staff at Bloomsbury, especially Nick Wolterman and Olivia Dellow.

My biggest, warmest, and deepest thanks to my wife Khadijetou Ly, my son Ousmane, and daughter Oureye for their incommensurable love, joy, and support. I love you all.

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