FINAL DECLARATION

We, the Congolese people, believing in God the Creator and Savior of human beings, participating in this National Consultation initiated and organized by the Religious leaders in the Cath‚drale du Centenaire Protestant de Kinshasa from 24th February to 11th March, 2000,

Solemnly affirm that:

• Congolese people, like all other people are sovereign

• The Congolese people are a united and indivisible people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, within the frontiers inherited from the colonial masters.

• Congolese people legitimately aspire for peace, harmony, democracy and development.

• Our country, Congo is not just a heap of natural resources, neither is it a "No Man's Land" but it is essentially a habitat given by God to our people since the time of our forefathers.

We condemn:

• war of aggression and the occupation of our national territory

• The massive killings of our people

• rapes and assault of women

• contempt and oppression of our people

• deportation of our people like in the Nazi era during the second world war to Rwanda and Uganda

• The looting of our natural resources and the destruction of our social and economic infrastructure

• The destruction of our environment

We invite:

• Our brothers and sisters in the armed opposition to have the spirit of patriotism, to take courage and immediately renounce the war and dissociate themselves from the enemies of our people

• Our brothers and sisters in the peaceful opposition to tolerance, to the spirit of reconciliation and to the renunciation of empty politics.

• Our brothers and sisters of the civil society to play their simple role as catalysts, trainers, cultural and socio-economic coordinators.

• The Government, to take into consideration the aspirations of the Congolese people, as they were expressed in the National Consultation and to create a favorable environment for National Dialogue.

• The Congolese people to unite in order to build our country together through love, forgiveness and reconciliation.

• The International Community to the strict respect of the Charter of the UN, OAU and all the international conventions as well as the aspiration of the Congolese people as they were expressed by the National Consultation.

United, let us go to the National Dialogue, let us save Congo our country, let us save the Congolese people and let us save Africa.

We implore the mighty and merciful God to give us wisdom so that we can favor dialogue amongst ourselves, since dialogue alone builds.

Kinshasa, March 11, 2000

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