By Noah Fishman

The United States, United Kingdom and France called a press conference to demand immediate peace talks with the ultimate goal of a ceasefire. 

“We faced questions today about why the United Kingdom, the United States and France would support President Mobutu, whose government has been stated to be opposed to some of our proper goals,” said Representative Timo Nurmi of the United Kingdom. “While that’s true, we would like [the people of the Republic of the Congo] able to live a life of their choosing.”

France continued on the United Kingdom’s points, extrapolating and touching on potential olive branches.

“Now, we’ve gotten many questions of suspicion, and we see where it’s coming from, it does not make sense for us to support someone who has been deemed a Communist,” said Representative Harrison Rothschild of France. “However, France and many in the West are looking to turn a new leaf to a new era of peace and prosperity, because in these dark times where we value ideology over line, we value the economic system that one believes in over the ability to be able to believe it all, we fail. We fail as democracies. We fail as the leaders of the West and the leaders and the trailblazers of modern society. And that is why France supports the release of Lumumba.”

Despite France’s comments, the United States would not go as far as saying that they were changing their views on the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but said they are“keeping their options open.”

“We need to put pressure on Mobutu,” said Representative Jack Asmus of the United States.

France also stated that as there has not been a new candidate elected to be Prime Minister since Lumumba, they still recognize him as the official Prime Minister, while the United States had no comment on this issue.