I proclaim in the name of the nation the birth of the Republic of the Congo! - Joseph Kasa-Vubu

As soon as we were freed… we rid ourselves of those foreign bases on our soil which might have constituted a pole of attraction for the cold war in the very heart of Africa

The “heart of Africa” is resuming its rhythm and is beginning to beat at an increasingly normal rate. Yes, and it is not complacency:

If I am under a moral obligation to support and defend the government within the limits set by the law, the members of the government themselves have a duty to work together as a team. Their policy must be the policy of the government and not that of one party, one race, or one tribe. It must be a policy which reflects the interests of the nation and which allows humanitarian values to flourish in freedom.