'Hands off Africa,' Pope Francis tells rich world - Reuters

KINSHASA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Pope Francis denounced the "poison of greed" driving conflicts successful Africa arsenic helium began a sojourn to Democratic Republic of Congo connected Tuesday, saying the affluent satellite had to realise that radical were much precious than the minerals successful the world beneath them.

Many tens of thousands of radical cheered arsenic helium travelled from the airdrome into the superior Kinshasa successful his popemobile, with immoderate breaking distant to pursuit it portion others chanted and waved flags.

But the joyous mood, 1 of the astir vibrant welcomes of his overseas trips, turned sombre erstwhile the 86-year-old pope spoke to dignitaries astatine the statesmanlike palace. He condemned "terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity" successful Congo, wherever immense mineral wealthiness has fuelled war, displacement and hunger.

"Hands disconnected the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hands disconnected Africa. Stop choking Africa: it is not a excavation to beryllium stripped oregon a terrain to beryllium plundered," Francis said.

Congo has immoderate of the world's richest deposits of diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum and lithium, but those person stoked struggle betwixt militias, authorities troops and overseas invaders. Mining has besides been linked to inhumane exploitation of workers, including children, and biology degradation.

"It is simply a calamity that these lands, and much mostly the full African continent, proceed to endure assorted forms of exploitation," the pope said, speechmaking his code successful Italian portion seated. People listening to a French translation applauded repeatedly.

"The poison of greed has smeared its diamonds with blood," helium said, referring to Congo specifically.

Compounding the country's problems, eastbound Congo has been plagued by unit connected to the agelong and analyzable fallout from the 1994 genocide successful neighbouring Rwanda.

Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel radical warring authorities troops successful the east. Rwanda denies this.

"As good arsenic equipped militias, overseas powers bare for the minerals successful our ungraded commit, with the nonstop and cowardly enactment of our neighbour Rwanda, cruel atrocities," Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said, speaking conscionable earlier the pope connected the aforesaid signifier connected a hot, muggy afternoon.

The pope did not sanction Rwanda successful his code oregon instrumentality sides successful the dispute.

Rwandan authorities spokesperson Yolande Makolo rebuffed Tshisekedi's comments. "It’s evident that this ridiculous obsession with scapegoating Rwanda is President Tshisekedi’s electoral strategy - a distraction from the mediocre show of his government, and nonaccomplishment to present to their citizens," she told Reuters.

'DEVOURED BY VIOLENCE'

An estimated 5.7 cardinal radical are internally displaced successful Congo and 26 cardinal look terrible hunger, mostly due to the fact that of the interaction of equipped conflict, according to the United Nations.

About fractional of Congo's colonisation of 90 cardinal are Roman Catholics and the Church plays a important relation successful moving schools and wellness facilities successful the sprawling cardinal African country, arsenic good arsenic promoting democracy.

The pope criticised affluent countries for ignoring the tragedies unfolding successful Congo and elsewhere successful Africa.

"One has the content that the planetary assemblage has practically resigned itself to the unit devouring it (Congo). We cannot turn accustomed to the bloodshed that has marked this state for decades, causing millions of deaths," helium said.

Tshisekedi made a akin point: "While the planetary assemblage has remained passive and silent, much than 10 cardinal radical person been horribly killed."

First scheduled for past July, the pope's travel was postponed due to the fact that of a flare-up of a chronic genu ailment. Francis had primitively planned to question to Goma, successful eastbound Congo, but that halt was scrapped due to the fact that of a resurgence successful warring betwixt M23 rebels and authorities troops.

In an evident notation to the M23 and different militias progressive successful Congo's eastbound regions, the pope said the Congolese radical were warring to sphere their territorial integrity "against deplorable attempts to fragment the country".

On Wednesday, Francis volition celebrate Mass astatine a Kinshasa airdrome that is expected to gully much than a cardinal people. He besides volition conscionable victims of unit from the east.

Francis volition enactment successful Kinshasa until Friday morning, erstwhile helium volition alert to South Sudan, different African state grappling with struggle and poverty.

In a first, helium volition beryllium accompanied for that limb of his travel by the Archbishop of Canterbury, person of the planetary Anglican Communion, and by the Church of Scotland Moderator. The spiritual leaders person described their associated sojourn arsenic a "pilgrimage of peace" to the world's youngest nation.

South Sudan gained independency successful 2011 from predominantly Muslim Sudan aft decades of conflict. Two years aboriginal inter-ethnic struggle spiralled into a civilian warfare that killed 400,000 people. A 2018 woody stopped the worst of the fighting.

Additional reporting by Justin Makangara, Benoit Nyemba, Sonia Rolley and Stanis Bujakera, and Philbert Girinema successful Kigali; Writing by Estelle Shirbon and Philip Pullella; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Barbara Lewis and Mark Heinrich

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