YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé, on Wednesday afternoon for the second leg of his Africa tour, after departing from Algiers.
The pontiff touched down following a five-hour flight, marking the start of a three-day visit to Cameroon as part of a wider continental trip that also includes Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
Pope Leo’s first stop in Cameroon was to the presidential palace in Yaoundé where he held talks with President Paul Biya.
He said it was “time to examine our conscience,” calling for a “credible institution” free of the “chains of corruption.” “Hearts must be set free from an idolatrous thirst for profit.”
Pope Leo said that peace is undermined by the ‘whims of the rich and powerful’ in an address in Cameroon as he continued his 10-day tour of four African countries despite facing criticism from President Donald Trump.
The visit comes at a sensitive time for Cameroon, which is grappling with a decade-long separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions. The crisis, which began in 2017, has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
On Thursday, the pope is expected to travel to Bamenda, the epicentre of the conflict, where he will preside over a Mass and deliver a message of peace and reconciliation.
Separatist groups have announced a temporary ceasefire to allow safe passage during the papal visit, raising hopes that the trip could help ease tensions and encourage dialogue between warring sides.
In remarks during his arrival, Pope Leo XIV stressed that peace is a shared responsibility, urging leaders to promote justice, accountability, and respect for the rule of law as essential steps toward national unity.
His visit is widely seen as a symbolic effort to bring attention to Cameroon’s humanitarian and political challenges, while reinforcing the Catholic Church’s role in mediation and peacebuilding across the region.