Part of Africa is going through an economic boom, Francisco visits those who are left behind

Pope Francis will leave this Wednesday 4/9 for an African tour that will end on 10/09.

He plans to visit the capitals of three African countries in the Indian Ocean: Mozambique, Madagascar -2 very poor nations- and Mauritius -a tourist destination-.

This is the second papal trip to sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, he visited Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic. It is also its fourth on the continent (it was in Egypt in 2017 and Morocco last March).

John Paul II visited these countries in 1988 and 1999.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 6 of the 10 economies with the strongest growth in 2019 will do so in Africa.

Many countries of the continent, from Egypt to Tanzania, are experiencing a real explosion of industrial manufacturing.

The 10 African countries which will increase more in 2019, according to IMF data are:

Ghana (8.8%)
South Sudan (8.8%)
Rwanda (7.8%)
Ethiopia (7.7%)
Ivory Coast (7.5%)
Senegal (6.9%)
Djibouti (6.7%)
Benign (6.5%)
Niger (6.5%)
Uganda (6.3%)

However, Of the countries that Francisco will visit, none is on the list of those who play in the golden moment of the African economy

Your first destination is mozambique, whose people Francisco recorded a message in Portuguese announcing his arrival.

In the former Portuguese colony, the Catholic religion, dominant during the colonial period, comes to lose fidelity to the hands of Protestantism in a progressive way.

However, it is important to note that at continental level, the Catholic religion in Africa increased by 238% between 1980 and 2012, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) of Georgetown University (USA).

According to AFP, this country is disappointing because the pope will not go to the city of Beirain the center of the country, where the Cyclone Idai It killed at least 600 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless in March. At 6 months, many of these people are still on the street and do not need to eat. Francisco he anticipated this disappointment in the recorded message:

"Although I can not go beyond the capital, my heart extends to all of you, with a special place for those who live in difficult situations.You are all in my prayers" badured.

Francisco will visit a AIDS Center in the capital, Maputo.

The Pope's visit to Mozambique comes one month after the government signed a historic peace treaty with the former Renamo (Mozambique National Resistance), which is now the main opposition party. . The deadly civil war they faced ended 27 years ago, but Renamo has never been completely disarmed.

In the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, a jihadist group known as Al Shabab –The divergent Somali jihadist organization has killed at least 200 people and displaced thousands since October 2017, El Diario said.

According to AFP, Mozambique has spent 300,000 euros to prepare for the pope's visit. In Maputo, hundreds of workers rehabilitate the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio will meet bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and catechists.

During the visit, the pontiff will meet the president of this country, Filipe Nyusi, with less than a month and a half of the general elections that this country will organize on 10/10, explains the portal Digital Religion.

Francisco will also visit the island of Madagascar, where three-quarters of the population live on less than $ 2 a day.

"Madagascar was visited by a pope only in 1989. It's been 30 years and the country is still one of the poorest." The problems that weigh the most on its 25 million people. inhabitants are drought and climate disasters ", explains the portal Rome Reports. It should not be forgotten that the country recently became independent in 1960 thanks to a very strong colonialism.

The pope will meet the president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina.

"In Madagascar, people who have not been tried, let alone convicted, are subjected to pre-trial detention under subhuman conditions for months or years, for minor offenses such as theft of children. ;a chicken", El Diario explained, then Amnesty International calls on the pope to tackle growing human rights violations during his visit.

Amnesty International documented in 2018 detention and arbitrary pre-trial detention of more than 11,000 people

According to official figures, approximately 4000 people have been killed in southern Madagascar over the past five years, including alleged thieves – including many extrajudicial perpetrators – police officers, soldiers and civilians in the context of the government crackdown on theft of livestock.

"We expect 800,000 people to attend the Mbad celebrated by the pope", Reverend Gabriel Randrianantenaina, coordinating secretary of the local episcopal conference, told AFP.

Francisco will end his tour in Mauritius, a small island east of Madagascar, where the local Catholic community plans to plant 200,000 trees in its honor.

The Mauritian population is a 50% Hindu, but there is a minority of 30% of Christians, which The majority are Catholics. The pope will go privately to the shrine where is buried a national hero, the Father Pedro Laval.