Pope Francis called for an end to the "exploitation" of Congo and the African continent as a whole, in his first public speech during a visit to the country.
"It is a tragedy that these lands, and more generally the whole African continent, continue to endure various forms of exploitation. Political exploitation gave way to an 'economic colonialism' that was equally enslaving," the pontiff told politicians, civil society representatives and diplomats in Kinshasa.
Because it has been plundered, he said, the continent has not benefited from its resources and mineral wealth. "Hands off the Democratic Republic of Congo! Hands off Africa!" Francis said.
"Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered. May Africa be the protagonist of its own destiny!"
Before the speech at the presidential palace, Francis had driven from the airport to the city centre. Hundreds of thousands of people had stood in line for kilometres, enthusiastically cheering the head of the Catholic Church and his entourage.
On Wednesday morning, Francis will celebrate a public mass at a military airport, where more than one million faithful are expected to attend.
