Kinshasa-Congo-January 31, 2023

Pope Francis arrives in the Democratic Republic of Congo

On Tuesday, a visit highlights the human toll of the protracted conflict in the mineral-rich Central African state, where millions live in poverty and displacement.

Pope Francis is the first pope to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo since the late Pope John Paul II visited it in 1985, when the country was known as Zaire. His visit to Congo comes at the beginning of an African tour during which he will also visit South Sudan.

About half of Congo's estimated 90 million people follow the Catholic Church.

After a reception and a meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi, the pope delivers a speech to representatives of the authority, diplomats and representatives of civil society.

The 86-year-old pope's visit includes a mass in the capital Kinshasa on Wednesday, and he is due to meet victims of violence from the eastern part of the country, which is suffering due to waves of fighting between M23 rebels and government forces.

"I wanted to go to Goma, but we can't because of the war," the pope told reporters during his trip, referring to the city in eastern Congo that he originally planned to visit before canceling that stop due to fighting in the region.

Francis is scheduled to stay in Kinshasa until Friday morning and then head to South Sudan, a country also plagued by conflict and poverty.

(Reuters)