November 22 - Day of 1970 Invasion in Guinea

nPosted on November 22, 2019

Key Points

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Democracy is not easy to achieve. Even rule of law is difficult to maintain. I feel so lucky to live in a nation that has a long history of being (pretty much) democratic and (pretty much) ruled by law. (Of course, things can go horribly awry even in nations with such a history – and indeed, the U.S. is struggling to reinvigorate democratic principles after way, way, way too much governmental power has been usurped by the rich and the corporate.)

nWhen we read about many nations’ histories – especially those nations that were colonized and largely stripped of resources – we see that a government “chosen” by the people through “free and fair elections” is sometimes, in reality, a government foisted on the people with varying amounts of lip service and window dressing to make tyranny look more democratic!

nIn 1970, the African nation of Guinea was struggling after more than two decades under President Ahmed Sékou Touré. The economy was not so good, roads and bridges and railways were getting worse and worse, and the “aid” from the Soviet Union and China was used to make things better for the nation’s only legal political party, rather than making things better for the people!

nEven worse, newspapers and other journalists were unable to print and broadcast news and facts that the government didn’t want people to read and hear. Even MORE worse, thousands of people were imprisoned, exiled, and killed – just because they disagreed with the president or his party!

nOne of the things that Touré did was to support rebels forces inside its neighbor, Portuguese Guinea. On this date in 1970, Portuguese forces invaded the capital city of Guinea, Conakry, with the intent of capturing or killing Touré and ending his support for the rebels in Portugal’s colony. The Portuguese didn’t manage to do that, and Touré kept ruling the nation and trampling on human rights until his death in 1984.

nBy the way, a reminder: Portugal has had a dark history, especially in its colonies, with human rights, too! Humans generally have – we can and must do better!

nDon’t get Guinea confused with Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, or Papua New Guinea!

nGuinea-Bissau is a small African nation just north of Guinea. Equatorial Guinea is also on the Western coast of Africa, but farther south and – duh! – on the equator. And Papua New Guinea is located in the South Pacific, near Australia and Indonesia.