Pope Francis arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, denouncing “economic colonialism” that he said had plundered the resources of the mineral-rich and conflict-torn nation.
KINSHASA, DR Congo —
On his fifth trip to Africa, Pope Francis, 86, is bringing a message of peace to the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring South Sudan, both wracked by decades of stubborn conflict. “As a result, this country, massively plundered, has not benefited adequately from its immense resources,” he told an audience of Congolese politicians and other dignitaries, speaking in Italian.
Despite its vast mineral reserves of minerals, the DRC remains one of the poorest countries in the world.It is the first time since 1985 that a pope has visited the DRC, where about 40 percent of whom are Catholic.The six-day trip to DRC and South Sudan had been planned for July 2022, but postponed due to the pontiff’s knee pain that has forced him in recent months to use a wheelchair.
“Foreign powers greedy for the minerals contained in our subsoil commit cruel atrocities with the direct and cowardly support of our neighbour, Rwanda, thus making security the government’s first and greatest challenge,” the 59-year-old said.
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