Victory Day (Dia da Vitória) celebrates the signing of the Lusaka Peace Agreement, which brought the Mozambican War of Independence to an end on this day in 1974.
Europeans first came to Mozambique during the late-15th-century expeditions of the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama. By 1530, Portugal had developed a significant presence in the region, virtually dominating it.
In September 1964, mounting anger among many Mozambicans, along with comparable armed activities in other Portuguese possessions such as Angola and Guinea-Bissau, prompted the launch of an armed guerrilla war against the Portuguese.
This violent battle became the Portuguese Colonial War, which included the Mozambican War of Independence. The struggle lasted a few weeks shy of 10 years, and the rebels made little progress in overthrowing the Portuguese.
In April 1974, a revolution in Portugal restored democracy and caused a shift in attitudes towards overseas territories such as Mozambique. Negotiations with the Portuguese administration led in the signing of the Lusaka Accord on September 7, 1974, which formally ended the conflict with a cease-fire and opened the path for Mozambique's independence the following year.
