Huambo - The governor of Huambo, Pereira Alfredo, on Friday considered the conquest of peace as the sure foundation for a "true" reconciliation among all Angolans who are committed to national reconstruction on the path of development.
The governor made the statement ahead of the 64th anniversary of the martyrs of colonial oppression, to be celebrated on January 4, having urged the population to show deep respect and recognition for all those who sacrificed their lives so that today Angolans can rejoice in living in a free, sovereign and peaceful country.
Pereira Alfredo called on young people to follow the example and courage of the heroes of January 4, 1961 and other nationalists who have always defended the self-determination and social justice of the Angolan people.
According to the governor, the celebration of the January 4 aims to remember all the sacrifices made by the martyrs of colonial oppression, their determination, bravery and self-sacrifice in the fight against all forms of domination, oppression and exploitation for the independence of Angola.
He recalled that on January 4, 1961, thousands of peasants from the Baixa de Cassanje were barbarically massacred by the Portuguese colonial army in response to their demands for shorter working hours, lower cotton prices and other forms of repression.
The governor pointed out that the uprising of the peasants of the Baixa de Cassanje region, in the province of Malanje, helped to strengthen the consciousness of all Angolans who were already fighting for freedom, motivating them to greater cohesion.
He added that this act allowed the creation and coordination of a broad front that preceded the armed struggle for national liberation on February 4, 1961, and culminated in the conquest of national independence on November 11, 1975.
January 4 is marked by the uprising of the peasants of Baixa de Cassanje, in the province of Malanje, which took place in 1961.
The event is considered the first revolt against the Portuguese colonial regime and a milestone in Angola's struggle for national independence.
The revolt was led by rural workers from the Companhia Geral dos Algodões de Angola (COTONANG), an Angolan company with Belgian participation. ALH/AMP
