War of Independence in Mozambique
The Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, from the Portuguese Frenta de Libertacao de Mocambique) was formed in 1962 in neighboring Tanzania when it was merged from several smaller nationalist groups. Since Portugal, Mozambique's colonial holders, vehemently refused to grant Mozambique its independence, and in 1964 Frelimo began a guerrilla campaign to fight for the territory's independence. The group had the support of communist and western states. By the early 1970s Frelimo and their 7000 guerrillas held most of central and northern Mozambique and were engaging a Portuguese force of roughly 60,000, a force more than 8 times that of Frelimo. The 1974 left-wing military coup in Portugal proved to be quite beneficial to Frelimo, as the new Portuguese government had a policy of supporting self-determination for Portugal's colonies. Talks were opened with Frelimo and a cease-fire was agreed upon as well as an agreement to allow for Mozambique's independence, and it finally became an independent state in June, 1975.
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