Costa marks 50 years of Guinea-Bissau’s independence in hopes of ‘deepening cooperation’

The Portuguese Prime Minister welcomed Guineans this Sunday, the 50th anniversary of Guinea-Bissau’s independence, hoping that the two countries can “deepen cooperation for the development” of their people.

In a post on social network

The Portuguese chief executive stressed that the declaration of independence of Guinea-Bissau on September 24, 1973 “was a decisive step towards the end of colonialism, as well as the fall of the dictatorship in Portugal.”

“I hope that Portugal and Guinea-Bissau will continue to work to deepen cooperation for the development of our people,” the statement said.

The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, also marked the anniversary in a post on the social network X, highlighting that although independence was declared in 1973, “Portugal will only recognize it a year later.”

“It was the revolution of April 1974 that opened the door to the recognition of self-determination of the peoples of the former Portuguese colonies. And for this reason, long live the 25th of April!” says Santos Silva.

On September 23, 1973, the first National People’s Assembly took place in Boe, and a day later, the independence of Guinea-Bissau was unilaterally declared, the result of an armed struggle led by Amilcar Cabral, who was killed in January of the same year in Guinea. – Conakry. .

The country was the first of the former Portuguese colonies to declare itself a sovereign state, although Portugal did not recognize independence until a year later, on September 10, 1974, a few months after April 25.

Although this weekend marks the anniversary of Guinea-Bissau’s independence, official 50th anniversary celebrations are planned for November 16, after the rainy season, with international guests including the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Portugal.