Pope tells Congolese to foster peace, denounces plundering of minerals

Presiding over a Mass in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged the nation’s people to forgive those who have harmed them and denounced the "poison of greed" driving conflicts in Africa.

Pope Francis celebrates a holy mass at Ndolo Airport during his apostolic journey, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi REUTERS - YARA NARDI

An estimated 1 million people flocked to hear Pontiff speak on the airfields of Ndolo airport – many who had spent the night waiting and who danced and cheered waving banners as he did a loop around the airport in his popemobile.

The crowd cheered again when the Pope greeted them in Lingala, one of four national languages that is widely spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The 86-year-old told the crowd to go beyond ethnic and regional divides in fostering peace, and he condemned "terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity" in the DRC, where vast mineral wealth has fuelled war, displacement and hunger.

#RDC #Pape #François à #Kinshasa très attendu à #Ndolo où la foule est impatiente d’entendre son homélie, les chorales sont en place et on danse pic.twitter.com/YQqNLlljY3

— Gaymard Veronique (@GaymardV) February 1, 2023

'Stop choking Africa'

"Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hands off Africa. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered," Francis said.

The DRC has some of the world's richest deposits of diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium.

As well as conflict, mining has been linked to inhumane exploitation of workers, including children, and environmental degradation.

"It is a tragedy that these lands, and more generally the whole African continent, continue to endure various forms of exploitation," the Pope said.

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The eastern DRC has been plagued by violence connected to the long and complex fallout from the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.

Rwanda denies accusations it’s supporting the M23 rebel group fighting Congolese troops in the east. 

The Pope did not name Rwanda in his address or take sides in the dispute.

The first papal visit since St John Paul II’s trip in 1985 is dedicated to peace and reconciliation. Following on from the DRC, the Pope will visit South Sudan.

The six-day trip was originally planned for July 2022 but was postponed after Francis suffered problems with his knee.

An estimated 1 million people flocked to hear Pontiff speak on the airfields of Ndolo airport – many who had spent the night waiting and who danced and cheered waving banners. AFP - ARSENE MPIANA