While millions of people around the world will be commemorating 9/11 as the day in 2001 the US suffered its biggest ever terrorist attack‚ the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) will be holding its own commemoration – the 56th anniversary of its military wing‚ the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA). The PAC was the first political party to form a military wing.According to PAC spokesman Kenneth Mokgatlhe‚ the military wing was established in the aftermath of the Sharpville and Langa shootings in 1960.“We are happy to have directly influenced the reactionary ANC to form a toothless Umkhonto We Sizwe which was used to bomb dustbins‚” he said.“We started to develop an international solidarity from countries such as China‚ Russia‚ Yugoslavia and all African states which were liberated at the time. Libya was the biggest player in funding our struggle including training soldiers‚ maintaining the struggle in general under Col Gaddhafi.“APLA was not only engineered and orchestrated to liberate Azania but helped other liberation movement such as FRELIMO (the Mozambican liberation movement). We were heading Operation Villa Perry in Mocambique when we attacked the ruling colonial Portuguese in the 1970s‚ One of such Commanders is unsung Selemo ‘Oom Juke’ Mokoena‚” Mokgatlhe said.“Lesotho‚ Zimbabwe come to mind when we recall the role that we played. We continued to support African states which were under colonial regimes at the time and we were doing this out of passion and patriotism for our land‚ our dear continent which have been raped.“It is however disheartening to say that we were sold out in 1994 under the guise of CODESA negotiations. We wanted to continue with our operation because we realised that there was a daylight robbery and the ANC did not study that hence dire living conditions of African people today. We knew the outcome of the CODESA that it was to ensure that private property of a man who used to rule would be guaranteed and the ANC did exactly that‚” Mokgatlhe stated.“We ceased our operations officially in 1993 and the last being St James Massacre when group of white Christians were attacked. PAC under the leadership of Mlamli Makwetu condemned the attacks and called for halt. Our High-Command decided to listen to the leadership and be part of the liberal negotiation‚” he added. ..