Pope Francis has urged Congo’s young people to work for a peaceful and honest future, directing himself to a generation that has been particularly hard hit by the country’s chronic conflict.
Resounding cheers and chants greeted Francis as he joined tens of thousands of young people at the Martyrs’ Stadium in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. The Vatican disclosed that more than 65,000 people attended.
The vibrant crowd repeatedly interrupted the Pope and cheered especially loudly when Francis denounced the “cancer of corruption.”
The audience broke into a chant in the Lingala language directed at the country’s President, Felix Tshisekedi, screaming that his mandate was over.
The Pope clearly appeared to relish the enthusiasm, encouraging the young people and urging them at one point to hold hands in a sign of community.
“You see how it is to be in community, and be in one church? “Your own well-being depends on the other.”
Pope Francis
More than two-thirds of Congo’s population of around 100 million is under age 25. The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have said that the country’s youth were particularly vulnerable to abuses as violence flares in the east.
Just this week, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) demanded the release of a dozen children reportedly abducted during an attack in restive North Kivu province, and Save the Children raised alarm about the plight of children amid massive flows of displaced people fleeing the violence.
“Do Not Be Overcome By Evil”
Pope Francis urged the youth in Kinshasa not to be tempted by drugs, corruption or quick-fix financial schemes or to be sucked into the violence tearing at eastern Congo.
“Do not be overcome by evil. If someone offers you an envelope with a bribe, or promises you favors and lots of money, do not fall into the trap. Do not be deceived! Do not be sucked into the swamp of evil!”
Pope Francis
His comments were greeted with raucous cheers.
Violence has wracked eastern Congo for decades as more than 120 armed groups and self-defense militias fight for land and power.
According to the United Nations, nearly 6 million people are internally displaced, and hundreds of thousands face extreme food insecurity.
Some people in the stadium opined that the lack of jobs in Congo fueled the conflict since there are few other options for young men to earn money.
“We have the impression that our leaders do absolutely nothing to improve the living conditions of the population and that these leaders minimize the capacity of the youth to improve things,” Kavira Shukuru, a 26-year-old who was at the stadium said.
“And this situation is among the causes of the instability and insecurity that our country is experiencing. An unemployed youth is easily influenced and can easily join an armed group to earn a living or be influenced by a politician with bad intentions.”
Kavira Shukuru
Transparency International ranks Congo 166 out of 180 on its corruption perception index, finding a direct correlation between political corruption and the high level of insecurity in the country.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is up for reelection at the end of the year, took office just over four years ago, starting what many had anticipated would be a new era after the 18-year tenure of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila.
However, critics say that Tshisekedi’s government has not done enough to improve living conditions in Congo, where many citizens remain desperately poor despite the country’s vast mineral riches.
A top presidential adviser resigned in September amid a scandal over a mining deal. Opponents also have accused the President of giving bonuses to legislators and aides.
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