Remembering leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape VerdeAmilcar Cabral assassinated in Conakry on this day in 1973. This image was taken in Cuba.

Cabral was born on September 12, 1924. He studied agronomy in Lisbon. In 1948 he cofounded a Center for African Studies in which future major figures of the struggle for independence in Lusophone (for those who don't know that's a term for Portuguese colonies) countries connected

In 1962/63 he led the war of independence gaining control of most of the territory of Guinea-Bissau. Of course Portugal wasn't going to give up its colony without a fight hence the assassination when the Portuguese invaded Sekou Toure's Guinea & killing Cabral on this day in '73.

Cabral in Algiers in 1969 at one of the offices of the PAIGC. He was inspired by the FLN which gained independence in 1962, the year some writings have noted as that which Cabral led the PAIGC in a liberation war. Cabral referred to Algiers as the "capital of revolutions".

The 50s were an important decade for mobilizing. After Cabral qualified as an agronomist he was employed by the colonial government. He traveled the colony (at the time) building support for the cause of independence. Here's an image of the women combatants of PAIGC

Medical doctor Carmen Pereira was one of these women. She managed a halfway house that helped transfer recruits into Conakry (the headquarters of the PAIGC) for military training.

After Cabral's assassination they assassinated Ernestina Silá on 30 January 1973. Guinea-Bissau's Women's Day observes this moment in the country's history. Silá was among the early recruits of the PAIGC and a key agitator for women's equal participation in the movement.

Cuba was a big supporter. Cabral had written a thesis on one of the towns in Cuba related to his studies. In 1965 Che Guevara met Cabral and later that year weapons were shipped to the PAIGC in Conakry to aid in the war effort. Here's a picture of Fidel Castro with Cabral.