The year 1970 – the eighth year of our fight for liberty – was very rich in events of great significance for our struggle, even for the general struggle of African peoples against imperialist domination.

At the internal level, the most important factor is the very continuity and vigorous development of our action, in the diverse and increasingly complex aspects of our life and our struggle. And this all the more as while we continue to confront difficulties of all kinds, because of the precarious material living conditions of our people, the colonialist enemy, continually and effectively aided by their powerful allies, have had recourse to all available means to destroy our fight for liberty.

While it is true that our determination is only equalled by the strength of the historical and moral reason on our side, it is no less true that we face a conflict – a veritable war in which material, financial and economic means play a primordial role.

One need not minimise either the exciting magnificence of the sacrifices offered by our people or the decisive character of the aid which our allies and friends throughout the world grant us, to observe that there is no common measure between the human and material resources enjoyed by the colonialist enemy and those available to us so far. The more so as, in step as our combat advances, the colonialists not only use more powerful and manifold methods of warfare to try and destroy the basis of the struggle (population, crops, cattle, etc.) but also cunningly exploit the weaknesses of our economic and financial situation by stepping up concessions to the populations they still dominate and by developing their ‘psycho-social campaign’ with the aim of demobilising our people and undermining our struggle.

The disparity of means available to the oppressor and the oppressed is a normal characteristic of confrontations between peoples and imperialist domination, a general trait of colonial wars or national liberation struggles. This fact, which is another common factor in the general struggle of peoples against imperialist domination does not, however, obviate either the serious difficulties we face at the material and financial level or the specific circumstances of our struggle.