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with The Final Call

In January 2000 a call went out from the religious community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to convene a "Consultation," a unification conference that would provide a common front to prepare for national dialogue. The Congo�s 50 million people enjoy a diversity of religious beliefs�50 percent are Catholic, Protestants 20 percent, Muslim 10 percent and others 10 percent. In late February, hundreds of Congolese converged on Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and met for two week ends to hammer out resolutions aimed at national unity to present to President Laurent Kabila, who ousted longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko from power and renamed the country that was once called Zaire. Professor Yaa-Lengi M. Ngemi, director of the African Research and Educational Institute in Manhattan, attended the little publicized meeting as a representative of Congolese in the Diaspora. He returned to New York on March 19, and on March 22 sat down for a One-On-One interview with staff writer Saeed Shabazz.

Final Call News (FCN): Why did the call for the �Consultation� come from the religious community?

Professor Yaa-Lengi M. Ngemi (YN): The religious community is very strong in the Congo with well respected leaders. The church in our country wants a return to the joy and freedom the Congolese people embraced after the downfall of the Mobutu regime in 1997. It is the churches and mosques that have reminded us of our common thread � a very interesting equation for us, our belief in a creator, whether we call Him God, Jesus or Allah. We are reminded by the church that we are still Black people who have a common national designation and culture.

The opening and closing sessions were held in the Protestant Church of the Centenary. The second day we formed commissions, some of those met in the mosque. During the opening session the Imam read from the Qur�an. Our religious leaders were our guides during the two weeks. There was no outside interference. The agenda for the Consultation was prepared by the religious leaders as we were divided into commissions, which totaled seven. I served on the Commission of the Diaspora. There are commissions to cover women, youth, scholars, civil servants, religious denominations and the chiefs, queens and kings.

FCN: You said that the agenda was prepared by the religious leaders. What were the areas of discussion?

YN: We had three questions to resolve and to come up with solutions, all to be presented to President Kabila. Question 1: (What is) the obstacle to national unity? Question 2: What are the obstacles against dialogue between the Congolese people? Question 3: For us to underline what are the reasons for the Congo to be at war with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. What are the obstacles to peace?

FCN: You have come together to formulate a national discussion on just what it means to be Congolese. What was the spirit like the first day? Did that feeling stay with you throughout the two weeks?

YN: The first day was really excellent, every religious group was represented and we were reminded of our oneness as a people. We understood how important it would be for us to work towards the national dialogue on the issues, particularly the war. This was our opportunity to speak up, to speak to each other � to criticize each other, something we had not been able to do during the reign of Mobutu because of his secret police. We were able to openly criticize our present government without fear of reprisal. That is the spirit that kept us focused for the two weeks. We were well aware that we were making history, and that the outside world would not be aware of what we had accomplished because the international community is not interested in the unity of the Congolese people.

We know that since the first days that we gained our freedom from the Belgians in 1960 that outside forces went into action to keep the Congolese people divided. We have never had control of our land and its resources. We must have the ability to rule ourselves. Clearly the big obstacle to our unity are the outside forces, particularly the Europeans and the Americans who want to control our riches � (they) must leave our land and let us live in peace.

We know that the Rwandans and Ugandans are not powerful enough to wage this war against us. We know that there are white American mercenaries fighting with the Rwandans. We call it the "external factors." We call upon the international community to respect our borders. We call upon the United Nations not to send troops into the interior of the Congo � but to send troops to help us monitor the borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. We can negotiate a lasting peace without international interference. We are aware that the United Nations wants to partition the Congo so that the multi-nationals can continue their program of neo-colonialism. We have resolved to speak up and to speak out against the international community if they do not respect our wishes to leave our country.

FCN: What happens now?

YN: President Kabila is now reviewing our resolutions. He is the president. The challenge to him as a leader is, can he implement our non-tribalistic policies? We expect his comments in a few weeks. Let me say that we have the utmost confidence in President Kabila because he is a student of Patrice Lumumba. The one recurring theme throughout the two weeks is our commitment as a people to the call for one Africa, the call for a united Congo. As you say here in America, the call for one Africa lives in the hearts of the average man and woman on the streets of Kinshasa and in the country-side. That is our common thread.

FCN: Thank-you.