Fidel Castro's Legacy in Africa

Why is Fidel Castro remembered as a hero across much of

Africa?

Fidel Castro, it seems to Africans, was generally committed or

interested in their liberation.

That's because under Castro's leadership, Cuba sent tens of

thousands of troops and medical brigades to African countries

to

support the fight for independence from colonial rule.

Sean Jacobs is the founding editor of Africa Is a Country.

Normally what would happen is if a foreign entity comes to

Africa and says that we can assist you with their freedom, they want something.

This was not part of the Cuban rationale.

Though he was demonized by the West and faced a reported 600

plus assassination attempts, Castro's foreign policy is still

celebrated around the world, and his legacy of exporting

doctors, not bombs, continues. Former South African president

Nelson Mandela even called Castro a source of inspiration to all

freedom-loving people.

Cuba adopted a foreign policy that was called internationalism.

Cuba deliberately set out to assist

other parts of the world where people were still fighting for their freedom.

Among others, Cuban troops joined and supported battles against the

French in Algeria and the Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau

and Cape Verde.

They also provided crucial support for the defeat of apartheid forces

in South Africa and neighboring countries.

In the mid-1970s, South Africa was occupying Namibia,

and it had begun to occupy the southern part of Angola.

They were colluding with a rebel movement that was funded by the US called

UNITA.

At this point, the US was allied with the South African

apartheid

regime. The People's Movement for the Liberation

of Angola called on Cuba

for help as the US-backed and South African apartheid forces sought

control of the newly independent country.

Cuban forces twice defeated the invading South African apartheid

army in Angola in 1976 and

1988. Those victories reinvigorated the

anti-apartheid movement against racist white minority rule back in

South Africa.

At least more than half of the people in Cuba are of African descent, and

so having an army of, like, Black people defeat, like, this very

powerful white, you know, army that is representative of white supremacy,

supported by the US, and defeating them in

that part of the world, and then that

leading then to the independence of Namibia.

South Africa withdraws from Namibia, withdraws from South Angola, and then you

see the release of Nelson Mandela from jail.

So if you're in that part of the world, that's, that's how you think of Fidel

Castro.

Thousands of Cubans died while fighting in Africa.

There's a long history of people interacting with Cubans, not as

invaders, but, you know, as, as showing friendship and solidarity.

Cuba supported the independence and development of some former African

colonies by providing doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, and

soldiers.

What was the legacy of the US in that part of the world?

It was sabotage, it was funding, you know, violent, uh,

groups. If you were an unfortunate victim of their

violence, it was called

collateral damage. They supported the South African

government, the white South

African government. Nelson Mandela was still on a US terrorist watch list up

until the early 2000s. So if you contrast that

hypocrisy and undermining, if you want, the people of Africa

with the approach of the Cubans, anybody who's from

that part of the world can see

what's going on.

Despite suffering under a decades-long US blockade, Cuba

continues to send medical teams around the world, from Haiti to

Italy. And while the West lagged behind, it was Cuban doctors

who were leading the fight against the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

It's the same principle of internationalism, sending, um,

medical help, sending engineers.

Um, it wasn't about gaining an advantage.

This was purely about solidarity.

I mean, I always joke that if, if, if Africa was a country, um, then

Fidel Castro would be seen as one of its national heroes.