Luanda — The historian Cornélio Caley considered this Friday, in Luanda, that the uprising of 4 January 1961, in which many Angolans were massacred at Baixa de Kassanje region , mainly peasants, as basis of modern Angolan nationalism.

To Cornélio Caley, who is also secretary of State for Culture, the deed of the Baixa de Kassanje peasants is extremely important.

"We can consider it as the basis of modern Angolan nationalism, as it was from this event that Angolans have become aware of the fact that they can claim their rights, "he said.

The secretary of State said that in the work already published about the epic can be verified that its protagonists have influenced the events of February 4, 1961 (the beginning of armed struggle) and March 15.

January 4 is a day of national celebration, honouring the victims of the the massacre of Baixa de Kassanje carried out by the Portuguese colonial forces, who used air equipment and bombed the defenceless peasants who complained against slave labour in cotton fields.