Aregado Mantenque Té


Aregado Mantenque Té was a Bissau-Guinean politician who was the leader of the Workers' Party. Born about 1963 in Caio he attended high school in Bissau while working as a shoe-shine boy. He soon became interested in democratic politics and before finishing school he had to leave Bissau for Gambia and then Senegal. In this time he worked mainly in docks in Gambia and Dakar and became an activist for FLING the democratic opposition to Luis Cabral. Eventually he was able to move to Portugal where he completed his education becoming a doctor of law at the Universidade Moderna in Lisbon in 2002. At the same time he founded the Workers' Party of Guinea Bissau. After a stay in England he returned to Guinea Bissau to legally register his party at campaign in the Presidential elections in 2005 where he gained 9,000 votes - less than the number of registered party members. Dr. Te also contested the legislative elections in 2006 and the presidential elections of 2009 and 2012.
WIth his party he aimed to teach his fellow country men to find unity and progress by working together. He personally was concerned for an end to fighting in his country and in Casamance.
Hampered by a lack of funds his final efforts were concentrated on encouraging people to create self- help enterprises.
He died from complications due to diabetes in Ziguinchor on 1 August 2015