Albert Mukulubundu | African Democratic Front (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
On behalf of the Front Démocratique Africain, FDA in acronym―which I represent―I would like to warmly welcome the various delegations made up of comrades from different continents. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the organizations that have worked so hard to ensure the success of this international conference, which will undoubtedly go down as a major event in Pan-Africanism in recent decades.
For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the theme of Pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism harks back to the Berlin conference. Exceptional raw material wealth and strategic stakes converge to make this Central African giant – a territory that no power can concede to its competitors. To avoid conflict, the imperialist powers, meeting in Berlin on February 26, 1885, agreed to guarantee each other free access to the country’s resources.
Immediately, powerful trusts took control of all economic activity in the Congo. Four of them hold 75% of all capital tied up. From their headquarters in Belgium, Société Générale de Belgique, Brufina, the Empain and Lambert groups planned and organized the colony’s exploitation.
Supported by the administration, the army and the Church, imperialism continued its “civilizing work” in its model colony until the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1958, an event occurred that completely changed the course of history. From April to October 1958, Belgium organized a major world’s fair to reassure the consciences of metropolitan France about the situation in the colony. Many Congolese took part.
Among them was Patrice Lumumba, who learned that a conference of African peoples had been convened by Nkrumah in Accra in December 1958. He went there and met some of his brothers-in-arms, and not the least of them. He had fruitful contacts with Félix-Roland Moumié, Sékou Touré, Georges Padmore, Frantz Fanon, Nyerere, Kaunda and many others.
Without doubt, it was at this point that Lumumba’s political thinking took its definitive shape. On his return from Accra, his entire phraseology changed. He now spoke of imperialism, Pan-Africanism and the liquidation of the colonialist regime, whereas previously he had advocated concord within the Belgian nation. Lumumba was only able to bring about this qualitative change thanks to his salutary meetings with African progressives in Accra. He was then able to rely on the popular masses to pave the way for Congo’s independence.
Dear comrades, the Front Démocratique Africain (FDA), which I represent at this conference―without the slightest illusion―would like to take this opportunity to stress the need for genuine Pan-African solidarity. The kind that leads us today to take advantage of the experiences of struggle.