August 25, 1960 _ Patrice Lumumba Speech at the opening of the All-African Conference in Kinshasa (formerly known as "Leopoldville")

For my Government, for us Congolese, your presence here at such a
moment is the most striking proof of the African reality whose
existence our enemies have always denied and are still attempting to
deny. But you, of course, know that that reality is even more stubborn
than they, and Africa lives on and fights. She refuses to die to
justify the arguments about the backwardness of our history, a history
we have made with our hands, our skins and our blood.

It is at conferences such as this that, we first became conscious of
our personality, of our growing solidarity. When at our first
conferences, which were held in various cities in Africa, we brought up
the problem of decolonisation the imperialists never expected we would
be successful. However, since the first Conference of the Peoples of
Africa in Accra in December 1958 we have traversed the entire road of
the liberation of our continent together.

You will recall the upsurge of the liberation struggle of the peoples
of Angola, Algeria, the Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Nyasaland and
Rhodesia after the Conference in Accra, and of Ruanda-Urundi today. You
will remember that a decisive step forward was taken after that
historic Conference. Nothing, neither bullets, nor repressions, could
stop this popular movement.

The work of this Conference is aimed at accelerating the movement for the independence of the African continent.

Ministers, dear fighters for the freedom of Africa, it is your duty to
show the world and those who sneer at us that nothing can deter us from
liberating Africa, which is our common aim. We can achieve this aim
only in solidarity and unity. Our solidarity will have meaning only
when it is boundless and when we are convinced that Africa's destiny is
indivisible.

Such are the deep-going principles of the work you will have to do.
This meeting will prepare the ground for a Summit Conference at which
our countries will have to speak on:

1) the unqualified support of all the African states in the general struggle for a Pan-African bloc;

2) a policy of neutralism with the purpose of achieving genuine independence;

3) the breaking down of colonial barriers through cultural exchanges;

4) trade agreements between the African states;

5) Africa's position with regard to the European Common Market;

6) military co-operation;

7) the building in Leopoldville of a powerful radio station with the aid of all the African states;

8) the creation of a research centre in Leopoldville.

Ministers, you have come into contact with the reality of the Congo
here, in the very heart of the crisis that we shall have to resolve.

Your confidence in the future of our continent will unquestionably help
you to complete your work successfully. Your principal purpose is to
prepare a meeting of our Heads of State, who will in deed establish
African unity, for whose sake you have responded to our appeal.

You know the origin of what is today called the Congolese crisis, which
is actually only a continuation of the struggle between the forces of
pressure and the forces of liberation. At the very outset of the
Belgian aggression, my Government, the guarantor and representative of
the sovereignty of the Congolese nation, decided to appeal to the
United Nations. The U.N. Has responded. And so has the free world.
Belgium has been condemned. I went to New York to show world public
opinion the moving forces of the Congolese drama.

Upon our return from the United Stateswe replied to the invitation of
the Heads of the free African states, who publicly adopted a definite
position and unanimously extended to us their fraternal support. From
this rostrum I express my gratitude to President Bourguiba, His Majesty
Mohammed V, President Sekou Toure, President Tubman, President Nkrumah
and President Olympio, whom I had the honour to meet at this decisive
moment. I regret that material difficulties prevented me from replying
to the invitation of President Nasser and His Majesty Haile Selassie.

All of them, fighting for African unity, have said "No" to the
strangulation of Africa. All of them immediately realised that the
attempts of the imperialists to restore their rule threaten not only
the independence of the Congo but also the existence of all the
independent states of Africa. They all realised that if the Congo
perishes, the whole of Africa will be plunged into the gloom of defeat
and bondage.

That is further striking proof of African unity. It is concrete
testimony of the unity that we need in the face of imperialism' s
monstrous appetite.

All statesmen are agreed that this reality is not debated but fought for so that it may be defended.

We have gathered here in order that together we may defend Africa, our
patrimony. In reply to the actions of the imperialist states, for whom
Belgium is only an instrument, we must unite the resistance front of
the free and fighting nations of Africa. We must oppose the enemies of
freedom with a coalition of free men. Our common destiny is now being
decided here in the Congo.

It is, in effect, here that the last act of Africa's emancipation and
rehabilitation is being played. In extending the struggle, whose
primary object was to save the dignity of the African, the Congolese
people have chosen independence. In doing so, they were aware that a
single blow would not free them from colonial fetters, that juridical
independence was only the first step, that a further long and trying
effort would be required. The road we have chosen is not an easy one,
but it is the road of pride and freedom of man.

We were aware that as long as the country was dependent, as long as she
did not take her destiny into her own hands, the main thing would be
lacking. This concerns the other colonies, no matter what their
standard of life is or what positive aspects of the colonial system
they have.

We have declared our desire for speedy independence without a
transition period and without compromises with such emphasis because we
have suffered more mockery, insults and humiliation than anybody else.

What purpose could delays serve when we already knew that sooner or
later we would have to revise and re-examine everything? We had to
create a new system adapted to the requirements of purely African
evolution, change the methods forced on us and, in particular, find
ourselves and free ourselves from the mental attitudes and various
complexes in which colonisation kept us for centuries.

We were offered a choice between liberation and the continuation of
bondage. There can be no compromise between freedom and slavery. We
chose to pay the price of freedom.

The classical methods of the colonialists, which we all knew or
partially still know, are particularly vital here: survivals of
military occupation, tribal disunity, sustained and encouraged over a
long period, and destructive political opposition, planned, directed
and paid.

You know how difficult it has been for a newly independent state to get
rid of the military bases installed by the former occupying powers. We
must declare here and now that henceforth Africa refuses to maintain
the armed forces of the imperialists in its territory. There must be no
more Bizertes, Kitonas, Kaminas and Sidi Slimanes. We have our own
armies to defend our countries.

Our armed forces, which are victims of machinations, are likewise
freeing themselves from the colonial organisation in order to have all
the qualities of a national army under Congolese leadership.

Our internal difficulties, tribal war and the nuclei of political
opposition seemed to have been accidentally concentrated in the regions
with our richest mineral and power resources. We know how all this was
organised and, in particular, who supports it today in our house.

Our Katanga because of its uranium, copper and gold, and our Bakwanga
in Kasai because of its diamonds have become hotbeds of imperialist
intrigues. The object of these intrigues is to recapture economic
control of our country.

But one thing is certain, and I solemnly declare that the Congolese
people will never again let themselves be exploited, that all leaders
who will strive to direct them to that road will be thrown out of the
community.

The resonance that has now been caused by the Congolese problem shows
the weight that Africa has in the world today. Our countries, which
only yesterday they wanted to ignore as colonial countries, are today
causing the old world concern here in Africa. Let them worry about what
belongs to them. That is not our affair. Our future, our destiny, a
free Africa, is our affair.

This is our year, which you have witnessed and shared in. It is the
year of our indisputed victory. It is the year of heroic,
blood-drenched Algeria, of Algeria the martyr and example of struggle.
It is the year of tortured Angola, of enslaved South Africa, of
imprisoned Ruanda-Urundi, of humiliated Kenya.

We all know, and the whole world knows it, that Algeria is not French,
that Angola is not Portuguese, that Kenya is not English, that
Ruanda-Urundi is not Belgian. We know that Africa is neither French,
nor British, nor American, nor Russian, that it is African.

We know the objects of the West. Yesterday they divided us on the level
of a tribe, clan and village. Today, with Africa liberating herself,
they seek to divide us on the level of states. They want to create
antagonistic blocs, satellites, and, having begun from that stage of
the cold war, deepen the division in order to perpetuate their rule.

I think I shall not be making a mistake if I say that the united Africa
of today rejects these intrigues. That is why we have chosen the policy
of positive neutralism, which is the only acceptable policy allowing us
to preserve our dignity.

For us there is neither a Western nor a communist bloc, but separate
countries whose attitude towards Africa dictates our policy towards
them. Let each country declare its position and act unequivocally with
regard to Africa.

We refuse to be an arena of international intrigues, a hotbed and stake
in the cold war. We affirm our human dignity of free men, who are
steadily taking the destiny of their nations and their continent into
their own hands.

We are acutely in need of peace and concord, and our foreign policy is
directed towards co-operation, loyalty and friendship among nations. We
want to be a force of peaceful progress, a force of conciliation. An
independent and united Africa will make a large and positive
contribution to world peace. But torn into zones of hostile influence,
she will only intensify world antagonism and increase tension.

We are not undertaking any discriminative measures. But the Congo is
discriminated against in her external relations. Yet in spite of that
she is open for all and we are prepared to go anywhere. Our only demand
is that our sovereignty be recognised and respected.

We shall open our doors to specialists from all countries motivated by
friendship, loyalty and co-operation, from countries bent not on ruling
Africans but on helping Africa. They will be welcomed with open arms.

I am sure that I shall be expressing the sentiments of all my African
brothers when I say that Africa is not opposed to any nation taken
separately, but that she is vigilant against any attempt at new
domination and exploitation both in the economic and spiritual fields.
Our goal is to revive Africa's cultural, philosophical, social and
moral values and to preserve our resources. But our vigilance does not
signify isolation. From the beginning of her independence, the Congo
has shown her desire to play her part in the life of free nations, and
this desire was concretised in her request for admission to the United
Nations.

Ministers and dear comrades, I am happy to express the joy and pride of
the Government and people of the Congo at your presence here, at the
presence here of the whole of Africa. The time of projects has passed.
Today Africa must take action. This action is being impatiently awaited
by the peoples of Africa. African unity and solidarity are no longer
dreams. They must be expressed in decisions.

United by a single spirit, a single aspiration and a single heart, we
shall turn Africa into a genuinely free and independent continent in
the immediate future.

Long live African unity and solidarity!