Malabo, April 21 -- On the final leg of his 11-day apostolic journey across Africa, Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday issued a blistering condemnation of what he termed "resource colonisation," linking the global scramble for oil and critical minerals directly to the proliferation of armed conflicts.

Speaking from the presidential palace in Malabo, the American-born pontiff delivered a message that resonated far beyond the borders of Equatorial Guinea, targeting the "extractive logic" that he claims treats human life as a mere commodity.

Addressing civil authorities and diplomats, Pope Leo XIV noted the tragic irony of nations rich in natural resources remaining trapped in cycles of poverty and violence.

He warned that the rapid evolution of tec...