The popular revolts, made of blood and deads, encountered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, give us the opportunity to reflect once again on the question of Africa and Power.

Indeed, at the heart of all these socio-political crises that undermine, erode and decimating the African continent, is the question of the understanding and the management of Power. The African loves and adores power. The shocking and disconcerting attitude of political leaders and even of its religious leaders in the management of Power, is a perfect expression. Power in the African mentality is synonym of authority. An authority, made in the likeness of the deities, which is exercised and which remained for ever, by keeping others under control and under manipulation as Jesus says: The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them(Mt 20: 25). Africa is a victim of his daughters and sons, sick of their unquenshable thirst for absolute power. This vision of power, understood in terms of domination and absolute reign, is rooted in African cultural worldview. Africa is a continent with a traditional cultural political system, made of chief and kingship. In the African tradition, power is found only in the hands of an individual which is spread only in his family and in his unique lineage, tribe and clan. An individual, a family, a lineage, is raised up only to reign and to rule and, therefore, all the others are born to be governed and to suffer the effects of the power of others. The monopolization of power is a reality proper to the African culture worldview. This monopolization of power also has implications in the management of the common good. Those in power monopolize and keep for them alone the properties of all. So they live in an opulent and pompous luxury at the expense of others who are content with the crumbs and languish in misery. The monopolization of power is a road leading to tribalism, with the mindset that only people of my clan and of my tribe have right of citizenship to me. Unfortunately, the years pass, mentalities are changing, but this cultural tendency of monopolization of power by an individual, a family, a group of people, continues to have a strong impact on the socio-political, cultural and religious life of the continent. A Part of the population, the families like Faure in Togo, Bongo in Gabon, Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenyatta in Kenya, continues to monopolize power and to make their power be felt while the other part of the population, exasperated by such a vision of the management of power tries whatever they can to be freed. The desire to maintain power and to stay in power and the desire to put to end this vision of monopolization of power are two forces that are confronting theirselves and fighting, plunging the continent in a continuous manner into violence and bloodshed. Undoubtedly, many conflicts exploded, and continue to explode and will continue to explode on the African continent because of this mentality of monopolizing power and its oppressive and destructive character exercized by African leaders. Power up to the dregs, is the source of our misfortunes as continent and African people.

Without risk of being wrong, we can say that the power remains a dimension of the African mentality and culture which needs to be evangelized, enlightened by the light of the gospel so that it can be lived according to the vision and the plan of God for the good of the people. It must be recalled to mind with courage and bold that power comes from God. It is God who established power and entrusted to ordinary men who have the duty to exercise it with competence, loyalty and justice as outlined in the Book of Isaiah: a king will reign in righteously and princes shall rule justly (Isaiah. 32: 1). At the heart of the dynamism of power is the notion of service which remains la raison d’être for all power both political and religious. Indeed, the book of Deuteronomy clearly states it : the king’s heart will not be lifted up above his countrymen. But will serve the people and seek their well-being as the lord of the alliance stated (Dt.17: 20). The model par excellence as many scholars have underlined many times, remains Christ. Christ has revolutionized the concept of power. Power is no longer understood in terms of supremacy, domination, but in terms of service. Christ accepted to take the last place, while the princes of the continent fight themselves, make war to each other to take the first places. Christ offered his blood for the ultimate sacrifice of the multitude, unlike the kings of Africa who every day shed the blood of their people. Christ goes in search of the lost sheep, meanwhile, the lords of Africa celebrate over the lost of the sheep or even organize kidnappings and killings of their own sheep to protect their power. Christ refuses to be caught up in family, tribal, and ethnic ties to open himself to the universal, to every man and every woman able to accept and put into practice the law of God, as he asserts it himself: my mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and put it into practice (Luc.8: 21) and also for whoever does the will of my father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother (Mt.12: 50). Tribalism is by no means characteristic of power in the Kingdom of Christ, but the only catalyst of his power remains the unique will of God. A will which is understood and revealed in terms of love, unity, sharing and above all living together as one people: You will be my people, and I will be your God (Jer. 30: 22). Christ refuses to cling to the power of this world, which is temporary, transient, to focus on the realities from above that are eternal. Many of our leaders are unable to understand this fleeting reality of the earthly power. More than ever, a profound evangelization of the concept of power in African culture remains fundamental. This also implies the promotion of a new culture and even a new civilization which educates and trains the consciousness to this fulfilled form of power that Christ incarnates. Education and formation of consciences in the light of the Gospel values remain the key to salvation for Africa.

Fr.Donald Zagore, SMA