Fidel Castro, abacuba and the story of selfless mercenaries

Julius Mucunguzi

What you need to know:

  • And president Museveni’s message, which Dr Rugunda carried, was even more apt regarding Castro’s support to Africa.
  • Fidel Castro is no more, but how can we keep the hope of his faith in selfless sacrifice alive? How can African countries he dedicated Cuban support to liberate, keep his fire burning? For Uganda, one way may be to restore our diplomatic presence in Havana by re-opening our embassy there.

While accompanying Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda to Havana, Cuba, a colleague reminded me of a word I had taken long without using. He asked me to convey his regards to the people in Cuba, adding: “Tell them we do not have Cubans here, but we have abacuba.”
While growing up, the word abacuba was often used to refer to people who would act as mercenary players especially during football games. It normally happened during inter school soccer competitions. Under such abacuba arrangement, school teams would hire or rent foreign players, to join their ranks to enable them secure victory.
So, what did this abacuba reference have to do with Cuba? One explanation was offered by a facebook friend. She mentioned that indeed, Cubans, just like abacuba were known to leave their countries to support battles elsewhere. And she was right.

Last week, Prime Minister Dr Rugunda went to Havana, Cuba to deliver President Yoweri Museveni’s condolence message to the people of Cuba, following the death of their revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro. While handing over the message to Cuba’s Vice President of the State Council, Ms Gladys Bejarano, Dr Rugunda stated: “Comandante Fidel Castro, and the Cuban people supported African liberation movements in Africa without expecting to be paid back in oil, diamonds and gold. Their only satisfaction was the liberation and freedom of those they fought for.” Just like the Cubans, our bacuba in Uganda would join the ranks of their football teams to enable them secure victory. In some cases, they would participate in the games, just for the thrill of it. On other occasions, they would be given small tokens of appreciation.
The high regard with which most African leaders held Fidel Castro speaks volumes about the man who dedicated most of his life fighting and supporting revolutions in Latin America and Africa.

Tweeting from Havana, Namibian president Geingob said: “ According to Fidel, helping with the liberation of the oppressed should never be for economic gain, but only to gain in conscience.” In the struggle for the liberation of southern African countries of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, Cuban soldiers joined the ranks of the freedom movement forces, as abacuba, reinforcing their efforts and ultimately contributing to the defeating of the white supremacist regimes. It is said that the invisible force of the Cuban soldiers in Angola forced the regime in South Africa to hasten the end of apartheid, and finally to the freeing of Nelson Mandela.
Referring to the battle at Cuito Cuanavale between 1987 and 1988 Namibian president Geingob said the victory on this particular occasion could not have happened without the Cuban reinforcement.

The battle of Cuito Cuanavale was a landmark event in the Angolan Civil War. It comprised fighting between the Cuban-supported Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola, and the Apartheid-era South African Defence Force near the town of Cuito Cuanavale. After a series of running battles and several casualties on both sides, the battle ended with the humiliating defeat of the South African army, opening the doors for negotiations that led to their withdrawal from Angola and Namibia.
“Cuito Cuanavale was a watershed moment for Southern Africa, moreso for Namibia that culminated in our independence in 1990,” President Gengob tweeted.
No wonder, soon after becoming president of independent South Africa, the first country Mandela visited in 1991 was Cuba.
And at Mandela’s funeral in 2013, the last speech was by president Raul Castro, Fidel Castro’s younger brother who took the mantle of leadership from his elder brother.
And president Museveni’s message, which Dr Rugunda carried, was even more apt regarding Castro’s support to Africa. Museveni said in that message:

“Castro’s role in assisting the decolonisation process in Africa was unrivalled and cannot be overlooked. From the early 1960s Castro rallied all his support behind the Algerian liberation struggle against France. In the following years, Castro offered Cuban support in the form of personnel, financial and military aid to the liberation struggles in Mozambique, Namibia, Guinea-Bissau and Angola and many others. Africa shall therefore always remain indebted to Fidel Castro for his solidarity with the Africa peoples and for his selfless and courageous efforts towards Africa’s independence. As Uganda, we align ourselves with the great debt of gratitude”.
Dr Rugunda narrated to us through a bit of what, and in which ways, Castro helped Uganda “Uganda and Cuba have enjoyed mutually beneficial relationships over the years. Cuba has stood by us all the way,” Rugunda said, adding, “Cuban doctors have for instance been with us in many situations, including when the Ebola outbreak took root in West Africa. They also supported Uganda to set up the medical school at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.”

Fidel Castro is no more, but how can we keep the hope of his faith in selfless sacrifice alive? How can African countries he dedicated Cuban support to liberate, keep his fire burning? For Uganda, one way may be to restore our diplomatic presence in Havana by re-opening our embassy there. Uganda and Cuba established diplomatic ties on May 9, 1974, and for many years, both countries maintained mutual diplomatic representation in each other’s’ capital until 2001 when Uganda closed its embassy in Havana. Cuba, on the other hand has kept its embassy open in Kampala. Re-opening the embassy in Cuba would serve to further buttress the already excellent relations.

Julius Mucunguzi is a communications advisor, Office of the Prime Minister. [email protected]