EUROPE - AFRICA; Berlin Congo II: A Glorious Report

by: Pieter Bos
date: 12/16/2005
Category: Nations

TWO CONTINENTS RECONCILED. Brief report.

0 SUMMARY.
The fourteen nations that met in 1884-’85, exactly 121 years ago, for the infamous “Berlin-Congo Conference,” met again, again in Berlin.
However, the difference was enormous.
Then they met, making Africa a topic of European politics, with imperial and commercial spin off, and there was no African around.
Now they met, inviting representatives at their own expense, and with no other goal than to repent of their pride and greed, and of the devastating effects of their attitude and their actions over the 120 years since then. The representation of both European and African nations was at intercessors-level, to take spiritual and moral responsibility for these attitudes and effects, while not underestimating the political, societal and economic consequences thereof.

The 1884-’85 Berlin-Congo was re-enacted, in the sense that again a table setting was arranged, according to a historic graphic, and again hosted by the Germans. The confessions of the then fourteen nations were brief, factual and humble, without excuse. The response of the, 22 altogether, African nations were overwhelmingly gracious. What was hoped and prayed for, really did happen, it was experienced by almost all: The yoke that Europe put on Africa, was broken.
Then the Africans felt free to express what the felt was necessary to happen as a way forward: being recognized as equal, partnership, fair trade and many other things.

1 THE HISTORY.
In the 1860ties and ‘70ties Africa was “discovered” as potential for market and empire. European nations started to speed up their actions towards Africa. In short: --King Leopold of Belgium, with his “Geographical Association” stirred scientific, commercial and philanthropical interest, and proposed the Congo basin to be a free trade zone; --the USA were the first to recognize “Congo Free State”; --the Netherlands were the main commercial presence in the region; --the UK and Portugal aligned for their kind of free trade; --France and Germany aligned to oppose that… The German Count Von Bismarck thought it then opportune to call a broad conference in order to avert war… and so Africa became a European political issue! Officially only the free trade issue was the conference topic. During the three months of the conference a mere ten half-day meetings were sufficient to reach agreement, including the recognition of “Congo Free State”! But un-officially the nations lobbied for their African interests, and so, not explicitly but in effect, the carving up of Africa started to happen.
The effects were disastrous. Europe looking down on Africa and on Africans was now “legalized.” Tribes and kingdoms were divided and combined, deeply disrupting social and political structures. Crops were demanded, totally disrupting the regional economy and ecology. Infrastructures and governments were imposed that were Europe-centred. The main effect was the Africans lost their self-esteem and their continent; only an African can estimate how deep, and also modern Africans, wherever on the globe, still suffer the consequences.
(Two articles that give the previous steps:
Reconciliation Africa - Europe:
Berlin-Congo conference; a historical overview,
Neo-Imperialism.)

2 HOW DID WE MOVE TO THIS RE-ENACTMENT?
In 1999 John Dawson, founder of the International Reconciliation Coalition, initiated a meeting of some thirty European prayer leaders, in Emetten, Switzerland, to wait on God and discern what European historical events might require reconciliation efforts. The Berlin-Congo Conference of 1884-’85 stood out. Prinz HeirichVII Reuss did thorough research, and others followed. In 2000 a group of European intercessor leaders formed, strengthened by some representatives from Africa, planning to “re-enact and undo Berlin 1” in 2001. But soon it became clear that that was too early. Preparatory conferences took place in Ambilly, France, 2002, Brussels 2003 and 2004, Lagos, Portugal 2004 and Berlin February 2005. They were necessary to reach consensus and to establish understanding and platform. Especially the Lagos meeting was key: at the beach, where reportedly the first Africans were brought ashore Europe as slaves, that arrival was spontaneously re-enacted in the opposite spirit, welcoming them, and the Holy Spirit confirmed this in an overwhelming way.

3 THE CONFERENCE IT SELF.
The evening before the actual conference started, the African delegates met separate, to just, among themselves, verbalize their expectations, their pain and their spiritual condition to at all come to this conference.
The European members of the EARP-council had made sure that the costs of travel, of stay and of hospitality for the African delegates were covered. They considered the event as “theirs”, as they, the Europeans, felt to re-enact Berlin I in the opposite spirit.
The conference opened with welcomes from the “main players” UK, France, Belgium and Germany. All nations were welcomed; 23 African nations were represented, 18 from the continent and 5 from the European Diaspora. Altogether we were about 60 Africans and 340 Europeans (incl. USA).

Chris Seaton (UK) shared the history of the process so far (par 2) and the European perspective. He emphasized what David asked in 2 Samuel 21: “We are really guilty; what must we do; whatever you ask we must do.”
Then Segun Johnson (Nig, UK) gave the African perspective of the Scramble and of the result of it, very factual and, of course, sobering.
The evening we first gathered in national groupings, to realize per nation, what the national shares had been in the scramble. As one nation after the other shared, some really gruesome and abominable details surfaced, even from days after de-colonization. The Africans were not present at this time.
Saturday was the day. The church hall was re-arranged with a long double table in the midst of the sanctuary, good for 2x23 seats. Nation after nation, from the “lesser powers” to the worst culprits, made an official, often written, Statement of Confession, always very humbling, as honest as possible, often under tears. Several of the delegates also alluded to the fact that neo-imperialism in divers forms is rampant.
That was the moment that the Europeans gave over the meeting to the Africans, saying: “Whatever you require, we will do”.
Langton Gatsi (Zimbabwe, the council member who had been responsible to invite the African delegates) responded first, by adding to all the European guilt the guilt before God of the Africans through their idolatry, immorality, bloodshed, and corruption. This was unexpected, but it underlined the gravity of the moment: we did not just stand as Europe opposite Africa, but also as two continents opposite God. Then he started to release forgiveness; and after him Segun Johnson, Hudson Mukunza (Kenya), Arao Timoteo (Angola) and many others. The whole audience was electrified, as such deep and costly forgiveness was flowing, over such gross and continent-wide abuse.
When I earlier repented of the Dutch sins, I felt utterly superficial; now that I heard the forgiveness I realized afresh how enormous the suffering of Christ must have been to wash even all these sins. Many tears flowed.
Then Langton came to a conclusion, the one we had hope for over the years of preparation, but of which we knew that it could not be assumed superficially: in the name of Jesus, on the basis of the confessions and the repentance, on the basis of the forgiveness released on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus, he broke the yoke of colonization, of the contempt for the Africans and of the poverty over Africa, and the yoke Europe was under through their actions, and declared Europe released of her guilt. We embraced across the table, worshiped, we danced (mainly the Africans) and we celebrated the release of the Lord. Lev. 26:13 applies: “I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with your heads held high”

4 THE WAY FORWARD.
In the afternoon the African representatives, still around the table, took the mike again to express the way forward. One after the other spoke. Some remarks came repeatedly and from different delegates: Treat us and receive us as equals; Do not give aid but trade; Stop the brain drain and the patronizing. “You are welcome with us, not (just) to help us.” Sensitise your home situation, both in Europe and in Africa to what happened here to day!
We all understood both the historical magnitude of what was achieved and the magnitude of what has to be done, north and south of the Mediterranean, to turn effectively the tide of 1884-’85. But we knew: Berlin I has been undone; Berlin II opens the way forward to walk together under God's inspiration.



DUTCH STATEMENT OF CONFESSION.
at the occasion of the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Conference, Berlin, 18-19 November 2005.

-- We, Christian representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acknowledge and confess, supported by the Dutch prayer movement and the Dutch Evangelical Alliance,

-- That we, from the mid 17th century, introduced in South Africa SLAVE TRADE as well as SLAVERY.

-- That we modeled APARTHEID. By this we created the lie that white people are superior to others. This resulted in a lack of respect for African people, for their intelligence and their culture, thus robbing them from their dignity.

-- That Dutch merchants were at the time of the Berlin Conference, with almost 50 trading stations, the most powerful commercial presence around the mouth of the Congo-river. For their trading purposes they demanded such goods from the Africans that the local agriculture and trading infrastructures were crushed, causing immense suffering.

-- That we, at the Berlin conference, did not support an English proposal to discuss the humanitarian aspects of the European presence in Africa, out of the attitude of contempt for the Africans, and to safeguard our commercial interests.

-- That in certain areas of Dutch, European and international diplomacy still the attitude of imperialism pervades.

Lastly, it is terrible that only now, more than a century after colonization and more than half a century after your independance, we at last come to the acknowledgement of the wickedness of our ways. And even now there is only a limited national support.

We confess these sins to God, and to you, representatives from Africa, and we ask for your forgiveness.

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