Pope to hold peace meeting in Cameroon conflict zone
Pope Leo
Leo will chair a peace meeting on Thursday, which will be attended by a Mankon traditional chief, a Presbyterian moderator, an imam and a Catholic nun.
The aim is to highlight the interfaith movement that seeks to end the conflict and care for the many traumatized victims.
The pope is also preparing to celebrate a Mass for the people of Bamenda, near Cameroon’s western border with Nigeria.
Leo arrived in Cameroon on Wednesday for the second leg of a four-country African trip, the first by an American pope.
In his arrival speech, he demanded that the “chains of corruption” in the mineral-rich country be broken and lectured President Paul Biya on the legitimate use of power.
Biya, 93, the world’s oldest leader, has been in power since 1982 and claims to have won a disputed election in 2025 that would give him an eighth term in office.
The conflict in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions has its roots in colonial history, when Cameroon was divided between France and Britain after the First World War.
The English-speaking regions later joined French Cameroon in a UN-backed vote in 1961, but separatists say they have been politically and economically marginalized ever since.
In 2017, English-speaking separatists launched an insurgency with the aim of breaking away from the French-speaking majority and establishing an independent state.
More than 6,000 people have been killed and more than 600,000 displaced in the conflict, according to the International Crisis Group.
On the eve of Leo’s arrival, separatist fighters announced a three-day break in hostilities.
Unity Alliance spokesman Lucas Asu said the pause “reflects a deliberate commitment to responsibility, restraint and respect for human dignity, even in the context of ongoing conflict.”
He said the pope’s visit should remain “spiritual” and should not be seen as an endorsement of any political authority.
Although the number of deadly attacks by separatists has decreased in recent years, the conflict shows no signs of resolution.
Peace talks with international mediators have stalled, with both sides accusing each other of acting in bad faith.
