Pope Leo begins Cameroon visit

A coalition of separatist groups in the African nation has announced a temporary halt in fighting to allow safe movement during the pontiff’s visit

Pope Leo has arrived in Cameroon after a stop in Algeria as part of an African tour that will also take the first US-born pontiff to Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The 11-day trip, which the Vatican has described as an “apostolic journey,” is the Pope’s first visit to the continent since the start of his pontificate in 2025.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Unity Alliance, a coalition of separatist factions operating in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region, announced a temporary halt in fighting ahead of the pontiff’s visit. The group said the pause is intended to allow the safe movement of civilians, pilgrims and officials during the pope’s stay.

Pope Leo is expected to hold talks with President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest leader, who has ruled the Central African nation since 1982. He will also visit an orphanage in the capital, Yaounde.

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Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has said the Cameroon leg of the trip is meant to carry a message of reconciliation and peace, particularly in the Anglophone regions, and described it as an invitation to dialogue and mutual respect.

Cameroon has faced separatist violence since 2017, when conflict erupted in its English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where armed groups are seeking independence from the majority French-speaking state. According to the International Crisis Group, the unrest has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000 others.

The Holy See says the religious leader will travel to Bamenda, a key center of the separatist conflict, for a peace meeting and Mass before heading to Douala for another public Mass and meetings with students, professors and Catholic health workers.

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Before flying to Cameroon, the pontiff spent two days in Algeria, where he met President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and addressed state officials and diplomats. He also visited the Great Mosque of Algiers and met members of the local Catholic community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.

Pope Leo later traveled to Annaba, home to the ancient city of Hippo, where St. Augustine once served as bishop. During the visit, he toured archaeological ruins, planted an olive tree, released white doves as a symbol of peace, visited a nursing home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, met members of the Augustinian order, and celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine.