AKEL on the anniversary of 1 April

AKEL honors all those who fought in the anti-colonial struggle

The fact that the 1955-59 armed struggle did not lead to its goal being fulfilled offers the opportunity for lessons and conclusions to be drawn

1 April 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

AKEL honors the heroism and sacrifice of the fighters who struggled and sacrificed their lives in the battles and those who were hanged against the British colonial yoke, for the freedom and self-determination of Cyprus. Our assessments of the tactics chosen to wage an armed struggle back then, as well as of the role of Grivas are given. Paying tribute to the heroes of the EOKA struggle is also given, which is a debt owed by the State and the Cypriot people.

The anti-colonial struggle waged by the Cypriot people took on mass dimensions in the mid-1940’s, when Britain broke its promises and rejected the demand for self-determination. It was then that Britain showed the brutal face of colonialism by escalating once again the oppression against our people, intensifying the repression against the Left. AKEL honors all those who fought on the front of the anti-colonial struggle. The greatest honor, of course, belongs to our people, who never compromised with the British colonial yoke, nor with the remnants of colonialism, namely the British bases, which exist on the territory of our island to this day.

The fact that the armed struggle of 1955-59 did not lead to the fulfillment of its goal is an opportunity for lessons and conclusions to be drawn. Popular unity on the basis of principles and goals, the choice of strategy and tactics that should take into account the objective existing conditions and the balance of forces, remain crucial elements in the struggle of every people. This constitutes a valuable lesson for the current generations of our country in the struggle for the vindication of our homeland, for the liberation and reunification of Cyprus and its people through the achievement of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

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