Antoine Mwenda-Munongo

Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Gentlemen,
My esteemed friends.

In the name of the tribal authorities and the group of representatives of rural areas, my colleagues have asked me to speak as their spokesperson for the last time.

On their behalf, Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the great courtesy with which you, and all those who have chaired this conference and its committees, have conducted the debates, and also for your kind attention to us at all times.

Also, on their behalf, I would like to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude to Excellencies Mr. De Schrijver and Mr. Scheyven. Called upon by the king to take charge of the Congo ministry at a crucial moment in Belgium's history, when their country was enveloped in an atmosphere of deep gloom that personally stirred feelings of anger and revolt within me, they managed to maintain their dignity and greatness. Their attitude towards us Congolese was one of loyalty, and this will add extra glory to Belgium's honor and make this conference a unique event in the annals of colonization and decolonization - truly unique in the history of national relations.

I also want to thank the excellencies, ministers, and members of parliament who have contributed significantly to lifting this conference out of the depths into which it sometimes fell.

Lastly, I owe thanks to all our Congolese friends who were kind enough to listen favorably to the views we presented on behalf of the tribal and rural committees. I thank them for understanding that there is something authentically African in our beloved Congo, something that must be preserved and serve as the foundation to build the impressive structure of a modern state. Above all, I thank them on behalf of the peoples of Congo for understanding that not everything can be changed in a day without causing unbearable suffering, and for appreciating that the cooperation of our leaders, as I have stated on several occasions, will give them the support of our legitimate authority and the benefit of our ancestral experience in leading the Congolese people.

By acting as they have, the political leaders, who recognize the value of our standpoint, have linked our ancestors to the historic hours we have just experienced. And this is a great moment that will enrich Independent Congo in the months and years to come. Congo is steadfastly marching on the path to the future and will strive to accelerate its progress, but it will nevertheless have its own history and wisdom.

May I also respectfully express my gratitude to His Majesty King Baudouin, who, as we know, followed our debates with anxiety and emotion. We, the tribal chiefs and representatives of rural peoples, sincerely hope that the heir of King Leopold II, who gave us Congo its intangible boundaries, will agree to lead us in the coming years so that we can avail ourselves of all the new institutions with which we will be endowed for the gradual construction of a nation based on a solid rock of shared sentiments.

Before I became a chief, I worked for 18 years in the public ministry under the motto "Jus, Justitia, Lex." I had the opportunity to assess the value of many people and things, and I must say that our beloved Congo will never benefit from the highest principles of law and justice unless the law is applied and justice is rendered on behalf of a common ideal and in the name of an undisputed symbol. This is yet another reason why we implore His Majesty to personally take leadership over Congo and help us create our own symbols. Therefore, I beseech our Congolese friends who now hesitate on the threshold of independence to accept our theory. Our independence will not be the lesser for it, and we will show the world something that will help it appreciate us and compel it to extend its favorable friendship to our country.

I must resume my seat without saying a word about our European advisors. In this chamber, we have heard certain opinions, and with full awareness, we have had consultations for four weeks with our advisors Messrs. Mineur and Maisin. I would not do them the honor they deserve because they have made their knowledge, their experience, and their deep attachment to Congo and its inhabitants available to us. They did so both day and night, and we have often spoken with admiration of their dedication. May I express our deepest thanks to these men. We will always remember the invaluable assistance they have given us, which we consider a happy omen of the help we may expect from all the countless representatives of Belgium in Congo.