Congolese Solidarity Campaign Press Statement

CONGOLESE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN PRESS STATEMENT

Un-Independence Day 2017: Congo still struggles for real independence

On the 29 June 1017, the Congolese Solidarity Campaign (CSC), a grass roots human rights based social movement held its Un-Independence Day event in the form of panel discussion. It was held at Diakonia Centre. 20 Diakonia avenue, Durban,South Africa.

While the rest of the country celebrates 57 years of “Independence”, we the Impoverished, the marginalized and the oppressed will be mourning the absence of this that our mothers and fathers fought  so hard for. We say that as long as the history of our country is still characterized by civil wars, political Instability, insecurity, conflict, gross human rights violation, corruption, democracy deficit and economic mismanagement, there is no independence.

On June 30, 1960 the Democratic Republic of Congo was granted independence from the Belgian Government. This Independence came after a struggle between The Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium. Each year on June 30, the Democratic Republic of Congo celebrates its Independence Day. Yet the people still struggle for real Independence today in an environment full of armed conflict. Democratic Republic of Congo is endowed with different natural resources. It has  large reserves of waters, fertile land and a large quantity of natural resources including diamonds, salt; gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum…Much of its natural resources are undiscovered or barely harnessed.

The country has become the killing fields of capitalism, where behind every slaughter, bloodshed, rape, massacre and looting stand imperialist interests. Imperialist looting and barbarism have led hundreds of thousands of ordinary people to leave the country and become asylum seekers in many parts of the world and also in South Africa. The local looters (Rwanda and Uganda) are puppets and stooges for larger imperialist powers who are happy to support them as long as they can get their hands on a share of the spoils. These imperialist bosses who are operating from the City of London (UK) and Wall Street  (Washington); continue to arm and sponsor different rebel groups through their agents and operatives in the regions ensuring a continuous political instability.

The United Nations peacekeeping force was deployed in 1998 with a mandate to maintain peace and stability. However, it has dismally failed to maintain peace and stability. The blood of innocent Congolese people continues to be shed for imperialist’s interests.

We have called on all progressive movements, organizations, which are fighting to build peace, established justice, unity and all those who are concerned about the political and economic crisis in the country and out of the country, to join us when we mourn our lack of Independence. Oppression is oppression and we named it as such. We call on all responsible media to say together with us that we are not independent when Congo remains without peace, justice, democracy and freedom of expression.

 

 

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