Castro’s Death Prompts Reflections on His Legacy in Africa

Several African leaders, including Jacob Zuma and Robert Mugabe, traveled to Havana for Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s funeral on December 4. Castro leaves behind a robust legacy on the continent, where he inspired and supported several liberation movements, the effects of which are still felt today. Castro’s role in African independence struggles in part shaped his controversial legacy. His understanding of the colonialist struggle and dedication towards overthrowing Western dictators earned him honor and respect from many in the region.

Africa sat at the heart of Castro’s foreign policy in the 1960s, as he spread the Cuban socialist agenda across the continent. Castro promoted an internationalist ideology that advocated for revolutionary politics against colonial powers. He believed that Africa experienced the most severe consequence of colonialism and western hegemony and became an active player in as many African liberation movements as possible.

In 1962, Castro supported Algeria during their successful fight against French colonial rule; he provided both military and civilian assistance to the Algerian National Liberation Front. In response to Cuba’s backing, the first Algerian president, Ben Bella, said, “Comrade Fidel Castro, the National Liberation Front of Algeria has only awarded one medal of honor. We have awarded it to you.” Castro also supported Africans in armed struggles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea-Bissau. With the help of Cuban military forces, Guineans successfully defeated their Portuguese colonizers in 1974.

Castro is most well-known in Africa for his involvement in the South Africa-Angola crises. Although never directly entering South Africa, Castro’s Cuban forces intervened twice to prevent the South African military from invading Angola. In 1976 and 1988, Castro sent over to 25,000 troops to assist Angolan rebels’ resistance. With this assistance, Angola defeated British South Africa, becoming the first country ever to do so.

Cuba’s dedication to African liberation inspired Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment in Robben Island, where he famously wrote “It was the first time that a country had come from another continent not to take something away, but to help Africans to achieve their freedom.” Castro also sent troops to help in the liberation movements of Namibia and inspired the removal of colonial powers in Zimbabwe.

While massive, Castro’s legacy remains controversial in the region, especially thanks to his role in the Horn of Africa. There, Cuba followed the Soviet Union in providing military aid to the Derg, an Ethiopian socialist military regime that massacred thousands of Ethiopian rebels in the Red Terror. Castro also supported Mohamed Siad Barre’s Somali dictatorship, known for committing crimes against humanity. Today, Somalia’s political instability in part results from the chaos of Barre’s regime.

Castro’s death has prompted many across the continent to reflect on his revolutionary legacy in Africa. Upon arriving in Havana to attend the funeral, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said, "Fidel was not just your leader. He was our leader and the leader of all revolutionaries. We followed him, listened to him, and tried to emulate him."