“It's time to rebuild and compose unity,” pope tells Cameroon

- Courtney Mares, Bamenda, Cameroon (OSV News) / F. Otamendi

A Cameroonian nun kidnapped a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days, was one of the people who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV on April 16 at a peace meeting in Bamenda, in northwestern Cameroon. Cameroon, region marked by years of separatist violence.

“We were abducted for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we did not sleep or eat,” Sister Carine Tangiri Mangu told the Pope.

“What kept our hope alive was the rosary, which we prayed continuously during those days,” he added.

“Most Holy Father, this is the situation in which many consecrated women carry out their work and live their lives in this war zone. Some have lived through more dramatic and traumatic experiences, but we continue to trust in God's help and in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he said.

Separatist conflict since 2017 in Bamenda.

Pope Leo presided over a historic Meeting for peace on April 16 in Bamenda, a city located in the northwest of Cameroon, a region ravaged by years of separatist violence.

The prolonged conflict in its English-speaking regions has caused thousands of deaths since 2017. The violence pits Anglophone separatists against the Francophone-dominated government, leaving entire communities displaced and children out of school in what humanitarian organizations describe as one of the world's most neglected conflicts.

Cycle of destabilization and death, and announcement by the Pope

In his speech at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bamenda, Leo XIV said loudly and passionately, “I am here to proclaim peace,” which provoked an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd.

The Pope also pronounced harsh words of condemnation against those who perpetuate war. “The architects of war pretend to ignore that an instant is enough to destroy, but that often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” the Pope said. 

“They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are being spent on murder and devastation, while the resources needed for healing, education and reconstruction are conspicuous by their absence.”.

Pope Leo strongly denounced those who “drain your land of its resources and generally invest much of the proceeds in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”.

What's happening in the world

“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, but it is held together by a multitude of brothers and sisters who support us,” he stressed.

During the meeting, the Pope heard testimonies from local traditional and religious leaders, as well as from a family displaced by violence.

Local imam recounts attacks on mosque

An imam in the area told the Pope how, in November, armed men invaded a mosque in Sabga, near Bamenda, during prayer time, killing three people and wounding nine others.

Mohammed Abubakar of the Buea Central Mosque went on to say that on January 14, 2025, “the Islamic community has suffered in many English-speaking towns and villages, and there were Muslim victims in what is known as the Ngabur Massacre, in which 23 civilians were killed in 2020.

“Holy Father, welcome, and please help us to have peace again,” the imam added.

The story of Denis Salo and his family

Denis Salo met with the Pope, along with his wife and three children, and told Pope Leo XIV how “five of my neighbors were killed and one of my close friends was also killed. While the separatists were attacking us, government soldiers were also burning houses.”.

“I now live in a small rented house with my whole family and work as a janitor at Maria Soledad hospital, and at the same time as a gardener at Immaculate Conception parish, Ngomgham,” Salo added.

The Pope affirmed to the afflicted community that “God has never abandoned us! In him, in his peace, we can always begin again!”.

Peace Movement to mediate

Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator emeritus of the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon, described to the Pope how religious leaders of different denominations have “come together and founded a Peace Movement through which we have tried to mediate peace and dialogue with the government of Cameroon and the separatist fighters.”.

“Virtually all of us who have gathered here are traumatized and in need of both psychological and spiritual healing,” said Rev.

Bishop: impossible to live normally

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Buea told OSV News that the Anglophone crisis made it impossible for people to live normally in the conflict region.

In addition to the loss of lives and educational opportunities for children, he said people “experienced extreme poverty” as farmers were unable to sell their produce due to the violence.

“There are people whose houses have been destroyed and who have become homeless,» instantly becoming internally displaced, the bishop listed. Although the pastoral work has been challenging, the bishop affirmed, «We continue to have faith in God, we continue to pray and the situation will improve.».

Warning against those who manipulate God to their advantage

Pope Leo XIV strongly condemned those who wage wars in the name of God, and also issued a warning: “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging the sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.

“Yes, dear brothers and sisters, you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are poor, merciful, meek and pure of heart, who have wept, you are the light of the world! (cf. Mt 5:3-14),” he said.

Doves symbolizing peace

After the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV released a dove in front of the cathedral, symbolizing peace. A crowd gathered outside the cathedral, singing and cheering enthusiastically.

“Our hearts overflow with joy and it seems incredible that the successor of St. Peter is among us, in this remote part of Africa,» Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda told the Pope.

“This is the moment to change, to transform the country's history: today, not tomorrow.”

At Holy Mass at Bamenda International Airport, celebrated in English in front of more than 20,000 people, the Pope stressed that “in addition to the internal problems fueled by hatred and violence,” there is also “the evil caused from outside by those who in the name of profit continue to interfere in the African continent to exploit and plunder it”.

However, “this is the moment to change, to transform the history of the country. Today, and not tomorrow, now and not in the future, the time has come to rebuild, to recompose the mosaic of unity, assembling it with the variety and richness of the country and the continent, to build a society in which peace and reconciliation reign”.

The word of God opens new spaces, and “we can become active protagonists of change. God is newness. He makes us courageous people who, defying evil, build good, said the Pontiff.

“Obey God rather than men. God alone liberates”.”

The Pope then recalled the episode in the Acts of the Apostles, when the authorities of the Sanhedrin rebuked the apostles and threatened them because they had publicly proclaimed Christ. 

The Pope recalled: “We must obey God rather than men”. “The courage of the apostles becomes a critical conscience, a denunciation of evil. This is the first step to change things. Obeying God does not annul our freedom. On the contrary, obedience to God makes us free, because it means entrusting our life to him (...) God alone sets us free”.

The Pope concluded by affirming his constant prayer and his blessing to the Church here present, so many priests, missionaries, religious and lay people, who work to be a source of consolation and hope. I encourage you to continue on this path, and I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen of Apostles and Mother of the Church.”.

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Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
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