Pope Francis’ speech in DRC gives hope to Pan-Africanism 

I watched the address of Pope Francis to government officials, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the presidential palace in Kinshasa, DRC.

 

The commentator who was translating the speech into English, said it was one of the most lengthy speeches that the pontiff has ever made. The Pope spoke after the speech of President Felix Tshisekedi, who, in his remarks said their country was facing a lot of recurrent security challenges. 

 

He attributed this to interference by neighbouring countries in the internal affairs of DRC. President Tshisekedi also reported that the international community is watching as genocide is being planned and implemented in DRC. He however assured the people of Congo and the Pope that the DRC will continue to do anything possible and within their means to protect and secure their country’s territory and I believe that’s the mandate of every government in the world.

 

Pope Francis in his speech showed a lot of empathy, passion and love for the people of DRC. His speech made our belief of pan-Africanism come to life and realization. He said that the rich countries in Europe are plundering the minerals and the resources of Congo yet the Congolese people are not benefiting from them.

 

This is a broad-day theft that we have been rejecting for many years. The Pope also mentioned something about making Africans countries to be slaves of aid and the neocolonialism that has these days turned into an insult to the independence and the sovereignty of almost all African countries. These days giving you aid means accepting all other beliefs of foreign countries and not being allowed to have an independent view about them. 

 

In Uganda today, we are battling with homosexuality which has infiltrated our schools but any person who comes up openly to fight this vice is seen as an enemy and the Europeans fight him. For me, I thought independence means allowing someone to have freedom and also be free to make decisions of what he thinks is right for his community or himself but I think I was wrong. 

 

If someone forces something on you and doesn’t allow you to give your view, will it still be freedom or something else? Will independence, freedom and human rights still make sense?

 

The women who have been raped and the children who are homeless in different villages because of the conflict in the DRC should be a shame to all of us who are living today. However, the people who have been benefiting from the rich resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo should be ashamed the more.

 

They’ve made abnormal riches over the tears, the pain and the death of the innocent people of Congo. What do they lose if they come up to support and join the struggle of keeping DRC safe for its citizens? How come it is easier for them to enter Congo for those minerals but it’s not easy for them to enter Congo for peace missions?

 

That’s the betrayal and the hypocrisy that our forefathers rejected during the days of colonialism and slave trade. We have been told and we have read that energetic Africans were forced to do labour for people who had no sympathy for them.

 

Slave trade was not only a shame but an abuse and a crime to humankind. But this wasn’t enough, the guys went on and colonized all African countries and forcefully put them under their rule without any approval of the people who were living in Africa then.

 

Pope Francis’ speech in DRC was a seed of hope to the few pan-Africanists and the few patriots who have a spirit of love for their countries of origin. It should inspire all of us to stand tall and fight for what belongs to us. The religious leaders of Africa, instead of getting involved in the local politics and confusing the young people to cause conflicts in African countries should preach what the Pope preached.

 

They should use the pulpit to instil the spirit of patriotism and pan-Africanism in all the people of Africa. They should teach them to guard jealously what God has given Africa and reject the arrogance of foreigners who only focus on what they can grab and not what Africa can gain as a continent.

 

I hope the Pope will one time speak against the European countries that have always interfered with the internal politics of African countries and forcefully removed governments. His direction now can surely show us that he is against those selfish activities that have always crumbled the developing and growing economies of African countries.