UN General Assembly
1963

160. The Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, one of the most moderate African leaders in Southern Rhodesia, stated in London that if the United Kingdom gave the country its independence while it was still governed by the white minority, the Africans would be obliged to have recourse to the ultimate sanctions. His actual words were: "We shall regard such a step as a declaration of war and shall not hesitate to form immediately a government in exile, and, as a government, to enlist material aid from other Governments inside and outside Africa. If fair constitutional means are denied to us, we shall be prepared to solve the problem with our blood." If such a bloodbath were to take place, not only would world peace be endangered, but the brilliant reputation which the United Kingdom has won by peacefully guiding 600 million coloured people to independence since the end of the war would be forever tarnished.