God is tired of our injustices. Prophet Habakkuk cries, "Why do you make me see wrong-doing, why do you countenance oppression? Plundering and violence confront me, contention and discord flourish" (Hab. 1, 3).

God forbids injustices, not only, but He is tired of them. We, Africans, also are tired of them.

In Africa, injustices have multiple faces. They truly cause us to miss peace.

Let us think of all the wars in the Continent. Even there, where war seems to be missing, we find a form of hidden, latent war whose concrete manifestation is poverty. Let us think of "the sufferings that afflict the African peoples, of the dehumanisation and oppression that coexist in the Continent, causing conflicts and problems as the central knot of challenges for the evangelisation in contemporary Africa" (Lineamenta 10).

Despite all this, Africa, rich in humanity, is still capable of offering its joy to the world. It offers the radiant joy that shines forth on the faces of its sons and daughters; it offers the human warmth of interpersonal relations and its welcoming gestures. These values exceed its gold, copper, water, cobalt, diamantes, petrol or any other form of richness. Its very much-coveted land is a source of multiple conflicts. On the opening day of the Synod, (October 4, 2009), Benedict XVI said at the Angelus, "Africa is a land of fruitful human life. Unluckily, many forms of poverty and heavy injustices sign this life. The Church commits herself to overcome them with the strength of the Gospel and with the concrete solidarity of many institutions and charitable initiatives".

Various problems afflict the African continent: war and circulations of arms; exploitation and management of natural resources; land conflicts; the economic agreements of partnership between the poor and the rich Countries; the new world ethics, peace, justice and reconciliation. I shall not be able to develop each of these points deeply, but I want to communicate what I hold as dearest to me.

We can place war and circulation of arms under the socio-political injustice (See Instrumentum laboris 56). There are ethnic minorities that easily wield weapons and provoke wars. I doubt that an African may all alone become furious against his brother, whom he has always been respecting as such! I dare say that a black hand, which we can define as "great power", uses some well-instructed head, taking advantage of ignorant and simple people to perpetrate hatred from generation to generation.

The riots and the expulsions of mixed groups of population in one’s own country often remain unpunished. Why does this impunity exist? "It exists because often political forces infiltrate the judicial institutions that fight against corruption" (Instrumentum laboris 56).

Few soldiers are aware of the violation of their dignity on behalf of the State. Theft becomes a normal substitution for work. They prefer to terrorise the civilians to the extent of killing them, rather than claiming their rights at their hierarchy. Often people do not react against violence and injustices because of fear. This makes us feel the urgency of growing in the capacity of reacting as a people.

Where do these wars come from? Why is there so much poverty in this continent?

Which type of contrasts do we find in Africa? What is the paradox between the immense resources and the misery of impoverished people in Africa? (See Instrumentum laboris 14). The finality of justice is the common good, and wars arise around the natural resources. Those who possess weapons protect exploitation and create conditions that keep us in a situation without any exit.

The multi-nationals do not stop to take possession of the continent gradually, looking for natural resources, eliminating local companies; they buy millions hectares of land, expropriating the people of their land, with the complicity of African leaders. Yes, today Africa depends on rich Countries more than ever. It is more vulnerable to the manoeuvres of the rich countries than any other continent: in fact, they donate with one hand and take twice as much with the other hand. These countries aim at holding and managing directly the political, economic, social and cultural life of the African Countries. It is up to us to promote the States of right, helping our people to participate in their own interests. President Obama declared this in his journey to Africa (Ghana, July 12, 2009): "We must start from the principle that the task of deciding for the future of Africa is up to the Africans". Yes, this principle is the basis, the foundation. However, a principle may remain theoretical. Our hope is that of passing from principles to facts.

There are many deaths of innocents, many migrations of local populations asking only to live in peace in their own land, with their brothers of the neighbouring countries; for instance the Democratic republic of Congo and Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and others. It is an injustice to deprive any person of its own land. The craving of possessing lands causes many conflicts today; families remain roofless over-night, because somebody sells abusively their land or the entire territory.

An African magazine says, "To face the increase of their populations, China, South Chorea and India that lack land and water, as well as the financially powerful Arabian Countries, enter into agreements with the African Governments to cultivate the land in Africa and, after the harvest, to export the products to their own Countries". Is there any African States that will escape from this deception?

Clever people will succeed in finding a way out of this vicious circle. This mechanism has already caught us, people of the Democratic republic of Congo. We can no longer escape from the network of the hunters! Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Senegal, Mali and many more African Countries are in the target.

What is the place of Africa in the Media? It is disgusting to see sometimes how the TV of other Countries speaks about Africa. Nobody has ever spoken about the 3, 9 million of deaths during the past six years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, without mentioning those who are forgotten and not even known. The person, created to the image of God, deserves respect and consideration.

Is it necessary, in the name of a false piety or of hortative propaganda, to expose here and there photos of huts, of under-nourished children? Is this Africa, or simply one of its realities? Jesus did not have pity, but compassion!

Often the vision that people have of Africa sounds more of pity than of compassion. While the whole planet is committed in the process of globalisation, the African continent is a theatre of all kinds of crimes. The globalisation of economy accentuates the poverty of Africa.

Let us take the example of some cases out of many others.

In the marketing of agricultural products, the products cultivated by the farmers, who work under a blazing sun, are often of very low cost. The worst thing is to verify that in some regions it is up to the buyers to fix the prices. Consequently, there is a further impoverishing of the already disadvantaged people.

To cut down trees without a successive reforestation, impoverishes the exploited Countries and people become poorer and poorer. Those who build up roads do it only in view of exporting their products, but the local situation remains unaltered, if not worse.

The roads infrastructures are an eternal problem in some African Countries! Of course, this is not the case of all the African Countries, but it creates, anyhow, a considerable difficulty.

The salaries are indecent or even not paid. How many workers earn a sum equivalent to hundred Euros in Africa? We could count them on the fingers. I have recently come to know that a retired nurse, with more than 35 years of service, got less than the equivalent of 0, 03 euros monthly. This is an unheard but true reality. This sum is less than a two-ways travelling ticket by bus.

Formation is another problem. They often sacrifice the education of the youths because the teachers and professors do not receive their retribution. This is why the degree of literacy in Africa is the lowest in the world, though there are progressive Countries in this sense. Moreover, this situation causes the "drainage of brains" towards other countries, where they are appreciated because of their preparation and competence.

The exploitation of unlicensed raw materials is a further problem. The zones with mines and oilfields turn into outbreaks of war and conflicts. In our country, moreover, many children are born with serious malformation due to the radiations provoked by polluting substances.

Is there anyone who minds the health of the populations? The heads of the African States have the unique worry of remaining in power.

With immense sorrow, I must say that the woman, symbol of life in Africa, is deeply wounded in her dignity (See Instrumentum laboris 59). The infibulations practices of female children and adolescents go on in some African Countries, along with women prostitution (a pandemic source such as HIV)

The rape of girls and women increases in times of war, often used as a weapon of war. These kinds of violence cause damages, physical and psychological devastations. Moreover, the African woman suffers subjection under domestic violence of several forms, in all the African Countries.

For instance, today a good number of women dedicate their time to trade in order to nurture their families, at the expense of the education of their children. Men still dominate women in the family as well as in the field of work. Polygamy (or the phenomenon "second office") disfigures the sacred face of matrimony and family.

About the religious field, I must say that the Church in Africa is facing a strong challenge. The new religious movements go on multiplying all over Africa and are present in the name of the "Gospel". Unluckily, many people form groups pretending to be religious movements and, taking advantage of the ignorance and misery of the African people, they use the name of the Gospel and of the Church to introduce weapons and at the cost of natural resources.

On the other side, we praise the efforts of the Church, of the missionaries, of the national and international organisations that try their best to draw Africa out of similar situations. For instance, last year, in my country, the Union of Major Religious Superiors in Congo proposed to the Congregations in great cities to help the other Congregations that live in the province occupied by the rebels. This commitment, that goes on up-to-date, aims also at realising centres of listening and of help for the women who suffer under the trauma of sexual violence. There is also a movement in the Church, "Catholic woman", which, with the help from the Church and the Union of Major Superiors in the D. R. Congo, organises many manifestations to shout against "the violence of women".

I end my talk with a short story and some reflections.

One day, during the TV news, we heard about the liberation of a famous actor who had been in prison for one year under the accusation of having raped a minor. The following day they organised a manifestation of women. I, too, participated in it with my sisters to express our solidarity. The group "Permanent Picture expressing the consultation of the Congolese woman" had promoted the mentioned manifestation. After two days, I heard that the famous actor was imprisoned again. This proves the incisive action of the Church: commitments in the Name of Christ bear good fruit always!

There are many more examples confirming the commitment of the Church. Of course, we Africans must build up a new mentality, which will allow us to respect the dignity of every person.

Notwithstanding the sufferings, wars, violence against women, deceases, corruption, poverty and injustices, the African people go on hoping in a better future and believe that, one day, the world will finish by listening to the voice of the weakest. Africa dreams a Government composed by more humane and honest persons, committed "to put man at the centre once again" according to the exhortation of Benedict XVI in his Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate.

I repeat the Final Message of the Synod, "Africa, rise up….".