Congo's Diamonds "Smeared with Blood," says Pope
February 01, 23
(IDEX Online) - Pope Francis yesterday told crowds in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) how the "poison of greed" had smeared its diamonds with blood.
In a hard-hitting speech he condemned the "economic colonialism" of those who had plundered its natural resources.
And he described the country's ongoing conflict with neighboring Rwanda as a "forgotten genocide".
At the start of a four-day visit to the country the 86-year-old Pope called on the world to acknowledge the "catastrophic" injustices committed in the past against a country suffering appalling poverty, despite its rich mineral deposits.
He condemned "terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity" during a speech in the capital Kinshasa. And he said the true wealth of a country was found in its citizens, who he described as the "most precious diamonds of these lands".
An estimated 5.7 million people are internally displaced due to the current conflict, 26 million people face severe hunger, according to the UN.
Screengrab of Pope Francis arriving in DRC courtesy Citizen TV Kenya