in 1956, amílcar cabral and a group of fellow cape verdeans and guineans organised (in portuguese guinea) the clandestine african party for the independence of guinea and cape verde (paigc). it demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in cape verde and portuguese guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movement. moving its headquarters to conakry, guinea in 1960, the paigc began an armed rebellion against portugal in 1961. acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in portuguese guinea that pitted 10,000 soviet bloc-supported paigc soldiers against 35,000 portuguese and african troops.