Pope Francis denounced the international community’s “colonialist mentality” toward Africa in an exclusive interview with the Associated Press at the Vatican, just a week before his scheduled trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
“A historical and geographical reality exists. In Italian, it is said that ‘Africa va fruttata,’ which means that Africa is meant to be exploited. And there is still a colonialist mentality,” Francis said on Tuesday.
He emphasised a problem with attitudes toward the African continent.
“A colonialist mentality persists,” Francis said.
“That is a problem of our attitude and their lack of courage in achieving total independence.”
Earlier in January Francis had sent his condolences to the victims of a bombing on a Pentecostal church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Islamic militants claimed the attack, which killed at least 14 people and injured more than 60.
- Kinshasa is getting ready to welcome Pope Francis.
- Disappointment at the cancellation of the Pope’s visit to South Sudan.
Francis is due to arrive in the capital of Congolese Kinshasa on Jan. 31 for a three-day visit.
When it was originally scheduled for July, the trip was supposed to include a stop in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
The Vatican scrapped that leg of the trip, amid a new wave of attacks in parts of North Kivu.
Violence has wracked eastern Congo for decades as more than 120 armed groups and self-defence militias fight for land and power.
“Africa is in turmoil” said Francis talking about the “internal wars” afflicting the continent.
“And is also suffering from the invasion of exploiters” he added.
In The AP Interview on Tuesday, Francis also addressed what he called a problem of “tribalism” in Africa.
“The tribalism is also very strong, for example to appoint a bishop in a diocese, one has to look carefully, that he belongs to the group – not to say tribe – that he belongs to the group,” he said adding that during a visit to Kenya, a crowd chanted repeatedly “no to tribalism.”
“It was a scream from the whole stadium. They themselves feel that difficulty, it is a people that is consolidating itself more and more in freedom.”
The fighting has exacerbated eastern Congo’s dire humanitarian crisis.
Almost 6 million people are internally displaced and hundreds of thousands are facing extreme food insecurity, according to the United Nations.
While he won’t be going to Goma, Francis will meet with some residents from the east and victims of the conflict in Kinshasa.
