From the genesis of the Kingdom of Kabu, the Mali Empire, to the liberation struggle that granted the West African nation its independence in 1974; Guinea-Bissau's legendary liberators left a tale that would continue to be firmly rooted in the annals of West African history. Gaining independence from Portuguese colonial masters was no easy task, but a hard fought liberation battle that was marred by martyrdom and sacrifice.

Guinea-Bissau's legendary leadership all started when in 1956 the genius of Amilca-Cabral gave birth to the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIG). He was however assassinated in 1973 by Portuguese colonial agents who were themselves Bissau-Guineans. The legendary Luis Cabral, the half brother of the visionary Amilca Cabral, took over the leadership of the party with a view to accomplishing the historic goals of liberation and independence.

Luis Cabral was not in the liberation struggle alone, but with other legendary heroes in the likes of General Nino Vieira, General Ansumana Manneh, General Yafai Camara, and General Batista Tagme Na Waie and populist leader Kumba Yalla, all played crucial roles in the pinnacles of the West African nation's triumphant independence struggle. The party's effective use of guerrilla warfare against Portuguese colonial masters enabled these heroes to have total control of most of the countryside, thus paving the way for independence in 1974. Luis Cabral, leader of the party, then became the first president of the newly independent nation of Guinea-Bissau.

What then propelled the young West African nation to institutional failure? Was it power, money, greed, or drugs, that laid the grounds for Guinea-Bissau's ongoing political uncertainty?

These are the questions that need to be carefully deciphered in understanding the daunting challenges facing the West African nation.

The first signs of power struggle all started when Cabral's prime minister and former armed forces commander, General Joao Bernardo Vieira who led a military coup on November 14, 1980. Luís Cabral was arrested, detained for a little over a year and then sent into exile. Although many analysts contend that deteriorating economic conditions as the epitome of Nino's coup, it could suffice to say that a culmination of power struggle and greed caused the rift in the leadership of the PAIG.

Until today, Luis Cabral lives with his family in Portugal. Evidence of the power struggle came to light when in 1985, Nino Vieira accused six military officers, all from the Balanta ethnic group, of planning to overthrow his government. They were executed. Their execution brought a rift along tribal lines in the Balanta dominated military.

Since his ascension to power, Nino had viciously and ruthlessly ruled with an iron fist for 19 years. Opposition to his rule was met with brute force – Summary executions, torture and imprisonment.

As his brutal rule showed no sign of abating, those wary of these brutalities watched until he touched what most Guinea-Bissau citizens considered a 'lion and untouchable' amongst the legendary liberators; Gambian born General Ansumana Mane. General Ansumana Mane was later removed as army chief by Viera. And on October 22, 1999, General Mane led a military coup that ousted Nino Vieira. He was forced to flee into exile to Portugal.

Mane who fought alongside Nino Viera during the independence war, and defeated Viera in the 1999 power struggle installed himself as temporary head of state; Chairman of the Supreme Command of the Military Junta, until Malam Bacai Sanha, the President of the National People's Assembly was made Acting President. Mr. Malam Bacai Sanha led the country to a multi-party elections that sworn in Kumba Yala as the Democratically elected President of Guinea- Bissau in 2000.

Even though Kumba Yala was the President of the country, General Mane maintained power and dominance in the nation's state of affairs. At times he was seen as an obstacle to the President's authority- a continuing sign of power struggle, and greed among the legendary liberators of the impoverished West African nation. Mane's objection in November 2000 of the promotion of a number of senior military officers by the president was a living testament to that reality.

Mane placed the newly promoted military chief of staff Verissimo Correia Seabra and his deputy Emilio Costa under house arrest and declared himself the Chief of Staff. Fighting subsequently broke out between forces loyal to both General Mane and Seabra. General Mane was consequently killed on the outskirts of the capital, Bissau.

At this point in the history of the country's legendary liberators, divisions amongst them were in the limelight. The first President, Luis Cabral was in exile together with his successor and comrade Nino Viera- what an interesting tale. General Mane and other top loyalist within the PAIG were killed, whilst General Yafai Camara, the most humble and low key amongst them, maintained caution behind the scenes.

General BatistaTagme Na Waie, generally considered a violent man was also very cautious about everything except for a Nino Viera affair, who the General viewed as a divisive element and an obstacle to development in Guinea, according to pundits. Many others contend that President Nino Viera's execution of the six ethnic Balanta officers of the armed forces in 1985 on accusations of a coup plot, may have laid the grounds for a power struggle between the two.

With all these tussles and puzzles, ousted President Viera returned to Bissau in 2005 following the 2003 military coup that ushered in a nouvelle paradigm of politics, calling for multi-party elections. His 19 years of iron rule was not enough, instead the hunger for power and authority propelled his victory in the June 2005 Presidential elections.

President Nino Viera's re-election at a time when General Batista Tagme Na Waie was Chief of the Armed Forces may not have gone down well with a President and an army chief, who were bitter rivals. The army chief is said to have narrowly escaped President Viera's assassination attempts of the 1980s. In January 2009, a replica of the same putsches almost killed General Batista Tagme, when his motorcade was fired on by elements of the Presidential guards unit.

With Guinea-Bissau's role as the new front for the Latin American drug barons, the situation became a lot more complicated than one would imagine. Reports say President Viera was a key player in the drug trade, unlike General Tagme who was seen as a bitter opponent to the illegal trade. Many analysts contend the involvement of drug to be key in the rivalry between the two.

As the power struggle and greed continued, General Batista Tagme Na Waie was killed on March 2, 2009 when a bomb detonated at the army head quarters. President Nino Viera was also killed a few hours later by troops loyal to the slain army chief.

They fought a legendary liberation war that placed Guinea-Bissau on Africa's map of independent nations. Their sacrifices paved the way for younger generation of Bissau-Guineans, thus placing their names as the legendary liberators in the annals of African history. Their tale will however continue to be deciphered for generations to come.

And what is that tale? It is one of patriotism, power, money, greed and lately, drugs.

Amilca Cabral was killed because of his Patriotism, Luis Cabral is in exile due to allegations of perceived greed; General Ansumana Manneh was killed as a result of power struggle and greed; General Batista Tagme Na Waie was killed as result of power struggle and patriotism; President Viera got killed due to power struggle, money, greed and drugs.

General Yafai Camara would be remembered as the most humbled, the most patriotic, who was never caught up in all these  contradictions. Yafai Camara died of natural causes and his rich legacy - honor, integrity, humor and patriotism, shall forever live on.

Their tale is indeed a lesson to learn from. What else could we say?