How did Samora Machel become leader of Frelimo?

Samora Machel rose to leadership of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) through his dedicated service and military experience within the organization. After working as a nurse in Maputo, Machel joined the clandestine movement and was sent to Algeria for military training.1

He became a pragmatic military commander and rose quickly through the ranks of the organization. Following the assassination of Frelimo’s first president, Eduardo Mondlane, in 1969, Machel assumed leadership of the movement in 1970. Under his guidance, Frelimo continued its armed struggle against Portuguese colonial rule until Mozambique achieved independence in 1975, at which point Machel became the country's first president.123