Mozambique Liberation Leader Hits U.S. Support of Portugal's Policies

Dr. Eduardo Mondlane, president of the Mozambique Liberation Front, last night condemned the United States for supporting Portugal and South Africa. "The time is coming," he said, "when a choice will have to be made between helping Portugal and having all Africa against you."

Mondlane is testifying before the United Nations hearings this week in an attempt to counteract Portugal's protestations of equality in her colonies. Portugal is "going to yell louder and louder as her frenzy of fear increases," he said.

"Portugal is not interested in changing her position or admitting even theoretically the right of self-determination," he stated, "The only solution is to try to pry out of Portugal the freedom that has been given to the rest of Africa."

The Liberation Front is prepared to gain this freedom by military force if diplomacy fails, and are working and hoping for independence within two years.

The Liberation Front, formed in 1962 in Tanganyika, is a union of all the various Mozambique political parties in exile. The leaders of the parties have agreed that the most efficient way to fight the Portuguese is together.

Ninty per cent of the supporting funds comes from other African countries, with the rest coming mostly from Eastern Europe and Communist China. Mondlane complained strongly that much of the Western world "can't even be made to condemn Portugal in any international conferences."

Inequalities Intolerable

The inequality in the colonies can no longer by tolerated by the African. "Today in the United Nations Portugal argued that 'racist' foreigners are the ones who are actually causing trouble," Mondlane said.

"Portugal claimed that there is actually no discrimination, but all factors make for inequality. When 100,000 Europeans control over sever million Africans, they must have unfair control." If the civil service were opened to Africans, Mondlane stated, "the government would look Black--the whole structure of power would be in African hands."

While Portuguese argue that Africans in her colonies have status equal to Europeans, Mondlane denied this.