(The following statement by the United Secretariat of the Fourth International was issued November 23, 1975] The peoples of Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau dealt a serious blow to imperialist domination in Africa by Portuguese colonialism. The struggle of the Angolan masses has opened a breach in the bastion of southern Africa, under the hegemony of the racist regime in Pretoria. The revolutionary working class in the metropolis prevented the Portuguese bourgeoisie from responding effectively and healing this breach through a successful neocolonialist operation.
Given this situation, prospect of the dynamic of the mobilization of the Angolan masses developing toward objectives that are not imperialist but anticapitalist especially in Luanda, where the workers component has significant weight-all the partisans of colonialism, both old and new, and all the defenders of imperialist interests, both North American and European, have blocked together to crush the Angolan revolution and impose the establishment of a reactionary regime through a civil war. The leaderships of the FNLA and UNITA, which defend tribal and regionalist positions and the interests of bourgeois layers In formation, are taking part in the neocolonial regimes in Zaire and Zambia, counterrevolutionary been launched in Africa. In the present civil overthrowing the Democratic Republic of Angola proworkers states and all workers organiza fighters receive political solidarity rise of the and neocolonialisin and would be accom and given the hand, the victory of the Democratic Repubsimply antias wellworkers and peasants. to defend front with the imperialists, the racists, and capitalists and The workers and revolutionary movements of the entire world denounce the operation that has war these movements stand in the camp of claimed by the MPLA on November 11. The tions must make sure that the Angolan and material support. A defeat for the forces of the Democratic Republic would be a serious defeat for the revolution in Africa; it would represent a strengthening of imperialism panied by a bloody repression. On the other lic, since it can be achieved only through a very deep mobilization of the masses, would create favorable conditions for the complete elimination of imperialist domination and for a socialist dynamic of the struggle of the Fourth International chooses the camp of the Angolan Democratic Republic against the holy alliance of imperialists, racists, and indigenous reactionaries. In the civil war the Fourth International stands with the masses who are mobilized to defend the independence that has been won through fifteen years of stubborn struggle, their fundamental interests ing classes, for the expropriation of the landlords, and for the construction of a new state based on revolutionary democratic committees, direct expressions of the masses.
Such an attitude does not mean that the Fourth International and African revolutionary Marxists give up their criticisms of the leadership of the MPLA, which they consider to be petty-bourgeois nationalist and not proletarian and communist. Alignment in the same camp and commitment to a common struggle are not in contradiction with the battle for political clarification necessary for a victorious outcome of the war and for the construction of a proletari an revolutionary Marxist leadership.
Against the holy alliance of imperialists, racists, neocolonialists of Zaire and Zambia, and the reactionary leaderships of the FNLA and UNITA! Defend the complete independence of Ango la! Defend the Democratic Republic pro claimed by the MPLA! Reject any attempt at Balkanization! Immediate withdrawal of all forces of American and European imperialism, of South African racists, and all neocolonial governments.
Organize an international campaign of solidarity! All workers states and all trade union and political organizations of the proletariat must mobilize on the side of the Angolan fighters by assuring them political solidarity and material support! Boycott the sending of arms to the reactionary bloe of
8 India/Argentina Red Weekly 22 January 1976 session. ly struggling to prevent wage cuts. any lead in the situation has stimula-