Patrice Lumumba

To govern means to serve, not to dominate.

The colonialists are trying to divide us. They are trying to set us against each other.

We are going to build a new Congo, a Congo for all Congolese.

The truth is that the Belgian government, with the complicity of the UN, wanted to get rid of me.

I know that my death is near. But I will die with my head held high.

I am not a communist. I am a nationalist.

The Congo is not a gift from Belgium. It is our country.

We will never forget the humiliations we suffered under colonial rule.

The future of Africa is in the hands of Africans.

We must unite to fight against neo-colonialism.

The Congolese people are tired of being exploited.

We want to be masters of our own destiny.

The time for speeches is over. The time for action is now.

Africa must be free, from north to south, from east to west.

We refuse to be a pawn in the Cold War.

The struggle for independence is a difficult one, but we will triumph.

Our goal is to build a prosperous and just society.

We believe in the equality of all races.

The Congolese people will never again be enslaved.

We demand respect for our sovereignty.