tinent. The struggle against colonialism became a Pan-African struggle and all countries still under colonial rule were supported by the independent states. 77. In 1962, the leaders of three of Mozambique’s nationalist movements met in Tanzania under the auspices of the late President Julius Nyerere, where they formed FRELIMO, with Eduardo Mondlane as leader. In 1964, Tanzania also served as the launching pad when harsh repression against anticolonial agitation in Mozambique forced the liberation movements to resort to an armed struggle. FRELIMO faced formidable challenges, as it had to operate against not just Portuguese colonialism, but also the white supremacist rulers of South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). 78. Mondlane was assassinated in 1969 and was succeeded by the late Samora Moisés Machel, who continued the armed struggle against colonial rule. The dynamics of the liberation war changed when the government of Portugal collapsed in a coup d’état on 25 April 1974. Faced with a political crisis at home, the new regime in Portugal could not withstand the economic and political costs of anticolonial war abroad and ceded independence to FRELIMO on 25 June 1975. Samora Machel became the first President of the country. 79. Mozambique thus became independent after more than ten years of sporadic warfare. FRELIMO took complete control of the country after a transition period, as agreed in the Lusaka Accord, which recognised Mozambique’s right to independence and the terms of the transfer of power. Within a year of the coup in Portugal, almost all the Portuguese population had left the African territory – some were expelled by the new post-independence government of independent Mozambique, while others fled in fear. 80. This rapid exodus left Mozambique with few skilled human resources and, as a result, the Mozambican economy collapsed. Some texts claim that the country was left with fewer than five engineers after June 1975. In any event, as late as 2001, the disastrous economic outcome could still be seen in places like Beira, the second largest city in Mozambique. Once a thriving vacation destination on the coast, many of Beira’s 300 000 inhabitants now live as squatters in unfinished luxury hotels facing the Indian Ocean, buildings which date from the 1970s. 2.1.3 Post-independence Politics 81. After Mozambique became independent in June 1975, FRELIMO initially pursued Marxist-Leninist policies. It responded to the country’s lack of resources and the Cold War politics of the mid-1970s by moving into alignment with the former Soviet Union and its allies. FRELIMO’s leadership established a oneparty socialist state and soon received substantial international aid from Cuba and the Soviet bloc. 60 A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11