Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in Cameroon on the second leg of an African tour marked by both pastoral symbolism and geopolitical tension. After a stop in Algeria that mixed interfaith outreach with security concerns, the pontiff now turns to a country grappling with one of the continent’s most protracted and under-reported conflicts.

The pope will first meet President Paul Biya in Yaounde at the start of a four-day visit to the majority French-speaking nation. The encounter with the 93-year-old leader, in power since 1982 and now in his eighth consecutive term, has divided Cameroonian Catholics. Some clergy and lay leaders fear the visit could be used to legitimise a government accused by rights groups of suppressing dissent and mishandling the Anglophone Crisis.

That crisis, rooted in the 1970s merger of French- and English-speaking territories, has steadily escalated since peaceful protests in 2016 over perceived marginalisation and the erosion of common law traditions. A harsh security crackdown helped transform grievances into an armed separatist movement in the North-West and South-West regions. Local and international organisations estimate that more than 6,000 people have been killed, with hundreds of thousands displaced.

In a powerful gesture, Pope Leo is scheduled to travel under tight security to Bamenda, the heart of the Anglophone regions, where he will lead prayers for peace before an expected crowd of 20,000 worshippers. Church officials say the visit is intended to comfort victims, encourage dialogue and press all sides toward a negotiated settlement.

The Cameroon leg follows a historic stop in Algeria, where Leo visited sites linked to Saint Augustine and celebrated mass at a basilica that attracts pilgrims of multiple faiths. His call there for Christians to witness “through simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day” was overshadowed by twin suicide attacks in the city of Blida. Authorities have not linked the bombings to the papal presence, and no deaths have been reported beyond the attackers.

Leo’s first international tour has also unfolded amid sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who rebuked the pope for his appeals for peace in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters on the papal plane, Leo dismissed the political jabs, invoking the Beatitudes and insisting he would not be silenced on questions of war, justice and reconciliation.

Cameroon, often dubbed “mini-Africa” for its ethnic and religious diversity, has rolled out banners and flags in anticipation of the visit. After mass gatherings in Yaounde and the economic hub Douala, the pope is expected to continue his African journey to Angola, carrying the same message he plans to deliver in Bamenda: that lasting peace requires courage, compromise and a willingness to listen to the most wounded voices.