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Accepted Paper:
From "the country of Cabral" to a "narco-state": narratives on Guinea-Bissau
Teresa Almeida Cravo
(University of Coimbra)
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores the dual narratives which have long permeated Guinea-Bissau's politics and remain prevalent today: that of a nation which inherited Amílcar Cabral's deeds and mission, and that of a state which continuously fails to meet those raised hopes.
Paper long abstract:
Once known as the tiny nation which, at the hands of Amílcar Cabral, fought a successful liberation war against Europe's last imperial power, Guinea-Bissau quickly acquired the label of failed state and, most recently, that of "narco-state". These contrasting epithets do not only play out in the international sphere, but also domestically. The narrative surrounding Amílcar Cabral - and the pride and hope it evokes - appears to function internally, as well as externally, as a shadow over the precarious state of the country, purposefully mobilised to serve particular political goals. This paper explores the dual narratives which have long permeated Guinea-Bissau's politics and remain prevalent today - that of a nation which inherited Amílcar Cabral's deeds and mission, and that of a state which continuously fails to meet those raised hopes - in order to understand the role they play as sites of political struggle.