By Paschal Norbert
JOHANNESBURG, MAY 27, 2025 (CISA) — Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Archbishop of Kinshasa (DRC), has called on Africans across the continent and the diaspora to take ownership of their destiny and become “architects of the Africa we want,” in an impassioned message marking Africa Day 2025.
Speaking on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) on May 25, 2025, Cardinal Ambongo reflected on Africa’s journey and the urgent need to respond to the many injustices still plaguing the continent.
Citing this year’s AU theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” Cardinal Ambongo commended the AU Commission for focusing on what he termed the “urgency of the need of justice” not only for Africans on the continent, but also those in the islands and diaspora.
“We will never cease to reiterate our concern for the urgent challenges facing our continent and its lovely people,” he emphasized, listing issues such as “injustice, terrorism, conflict, poverty, issues of education, healthcare, dialogue, inter-religious dialogue, ecology, refugees and displaced people, human trafficking,” among others.
Drawing from the findings of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), he painted a grim picture of the human cost of ongoing conflicts across the continent.
“Contemporary conflict and crisis situations have forced millions of people, men, women and children, to flee in order to escape suffering, human rights violations and starvation,” he stated, adding that “vulnerable groups, especially women and children, suffer the most egregious human rights abuses in conflict.”
Cardinal Ambongo, who also serves as Archbishop of Kinshasa, reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to working for peace and justice, inspired by the recent teachings and pastoral example of Pope Francis, as well as his successor, Pope Leo XIV.
“As Catholic Church, Family of God in Africa, we trust that African Leaders will take care of the appeals and pastoral exhortations of Pope Leo XIV, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis,” he said, reiterating the Church’s unwavering support for the dignity of the poor, marginalized, and conflict-affected populations.
He invoked the prophetic words of Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to DR Congo and South Sudan in 2023, which he described as a defining moment for the continent: “Hands off Africa! 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! May Africa, the smile and hope of the world, count for more. May it be spoken of more frequently, and have greater weight and prestige among the nations!”
The Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JPDC) of SECAM, he noted, continues to carry forward this mission, working through its liaison office in Addis Ababa and through engagement with African institutions and civil society actors.
He referenced a recent conference in Addis Ababa, held from February 27 to 28, 2025, themed “The Role of Faith Communities and Ethical Organizations in Advancing Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” The gathering, which brought together religious leaders, scholars, and cultural actors, issued a unified appeal for global reparative justice.
“The AU SECAM Liaison Office along with representatives from religious organizations, scientific and ethical institutions, and cultural associations of African and international civil society, launched an important appeal to the world for the reparation of the damage caused to the Africans and People of African Descent,” he said.
Cardinal Ambongo called on leaders at all levels, political, religious, and civic, to mobilize for justice and human rights and to stand against all forms of discrimination and exploitation.
“On this Africa Day, we urge African and world leaders, but also all individuals, to mobilize and work for justice and human rights, while combating all forms of discrimination, economic exploitation, illegal exploitation of natural and mineral resources, inhuman and degrading treatment, emotional trauma and all kinds of suffering endured by Africans,” he said.
Ending on a hopeful note, the Cardinal invoked the spirit of resilience, urging all Africans to embrace their identity as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
“Let us all, as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, promote and protect every single life, reduce poverty, take care of ‘Our Common Home’ , the Earth , building Bridges for Peace and Hope everywhere on the African continent and beyond.”
Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity, today, African Union (AU) on May 25, 1963, and the pan-African movement that championed Africa’s independence from colonialism and apartheid.
