The government and people of Angola have posthumously conferred yet another national honour on Captain Kojo Tsikata in recognition of his historic role in the country’s liberation struggle.
The award was presented at a solemn ceremony held last Thursday, 29th May 2025, in Luanda, the Angolan capital. Mandla Qassim Tsikata, who attended the event in honour of the former Ghanaian intelligence chief and revolutionary, received the medal on behalf of his late father.
Captain Tsikata, who was widely known among Angolan fighters as “Carlos Silva”, was a celebrated ally of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
He had previously been decorated with several of Angola’s highest honours, including the Solidarity Award, for his unwavering commitment to the country’s fight against Portuguese colonialism.
In addition to Angolan honours, Tsikata also held the prestigious Order of “Carlos Manuel de Céspedes”, bestowed upon him by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, further affirming his international stature in revolutionary circles.
Born on 4 May 1936 in Keta, in the Volta Region of Ghana, Kojo Tsikata was educated at Achimota School in Accra and later at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.
His political activism began early; he joined the Youth League of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) in 1952 and quickly rose to prominence within the Party’s left wing.
As a young officer, Tsikata served with Ghana’s military contingent during the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Congo crisis. By 1965, he had joined MPLA guerrilla forces in Cabinda, Angola, where he operated under the command of Hoji Ya Henda, helping establish bases for the armed struggle against Portuguese rule.
He remained with the MPLA until he relocated to Europe for medical treatment.
Upon his return to Ghana, he continued his political work. He was a founding member of the People’s National Party, which emerged as the successor to Nkrumah’s CPP.
He later became a Special Adviser to the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, eventually serving as a full member of the Council and later as National Security Adviser and Member of the Council of State under the Rawlings presidency.
Captain Kojo Tsikata passed away in Accra on November 20, 2021.
