We should not go to the [poor countries] and say: 'We come to ... teach you our science, to show you your errors.' ... We should go instead with an inquiring mind and a humble spirit to learn [from] these people.

If you have the capacity to tremble with indignation every time that an injustice is committed in the world, then we are comrades.

I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.

I have never considered myself an economist.

If any person has a good word for the previous government that is good enough for me to have him shot.

Our attitude is very clear. In effect there is the conflict, ideological conflict which we all know. We have stated our position in the sense of unity among socialist states - unity as a first measure.

Given the prevailing lack of discipline, it would have been impossible to use Congolese machine-gunners to defend the base from air attack: they did not know how to handle their weapons and did not want to learn.