Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful critique of foreign exploitation in Africa during a Mass in Cameroon's conflict-ridden Bamenda region, addressing an estimated 20,000 worshippers gathered at the city's airport. The pontiff denounced external forces that "in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it," linking this exploitation to ongoing cycles of violence and instability.
"Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death," said the 70-year-old Pope during his address.
The Pope's visit to Bamenda—a city at the heart of Cameroon's nearly decade-long separatist insurgency—focused on peace-building efforts in the English-speaking regions where conflict has claimed at least 6,000 lives and displaced countless others. His arrival was met with jubilant crowds singing, drumming, and waving flags, despite the region's security challenges.
Earlier in the day, the Pope participated in a peace meeting at Saint Joseph's Cathedral, where religious leaders and victims of the conflict shared harrowing accounts of violence. A Muslim leader described killings within the Mbororo indigenous community, while a nun recounted her kidnapping by separatist fighters. Another attendee spoke of being forced to flee his home.
"Let us thank God that this crisis has not degenerated into a religious war," the Pope remarked, commending the community's resilience as a model for global conflict resolution.
This visit marks part of the Pope's 11-day African tour, which emphasizes peace as its central theme and includes upcoming stops in Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The tour began in Algeria, where the Pope visited the Great Mosque of Algiers and emphasized interfaith coexistence, stating, "We can live together in peace."
In Cameroon, the Pope's messages have been notably direct. During an address at the presidential palace in Yaoundé, attended by 93-year-old President Paul Biya, he urged the government to combat corruption, stating, "In order for peace and justice to prevail, the chains of corruption—which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility—must be broken." He also highlighted the importance of investing in youth and recognizing women's roles in peace-building.
Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda expressed optimism about the visit's impact, saying, "I can confidently say now is the time for peace." The Pope echoed this sentiment, calling for immediate action: "The time has come, today and not tomorrow, now and not in the future, to restore the mosaic of unity by bringing together the diversity and riches of the country and the continent."
As the Pope continues his journey across Africa, his condemnation of foreign exploitation and advocacy for local peace efforts resonate strongly in regions grappling with both internal strife and external pressures.