Pope Leo XIV Demands End to Corruption During Landmark Visit to Cameroon

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Wednesday, April 15, calling on the country's authorities to "break the chains of corruption" in a speech delivered before President Paul Biya at the Etoudi presidential palace, on the second leg of a 10-day tour of four African countries. The first American pontiff, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, landed at Yaoundé-Nsimalen airport shortly before 2:00 p.m. GMT, arriving from Algeria, where the opening days of his African journey had been partly overshadowed by a suicide attack near Algiers and a public dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump. Thousands of faithful lined the 25 kilometers of road between the airport and the presidential palace, waving Vatican and Cameroonian flags and cheering the pope as his motorcade passed. Leo XIV held a one-on-one meeting with Biya before both leaders addressed an audience of nearly 2,000 diplomats and local personalities. The pope's message to Cameroonian authorities was direct and politically pointed, calling for an "examination of conscience" and urging that security be "always exercised with respect for human rights."

Pope delivers rare rebuke on corruption to Biya's government Standing before Paul Biya, who has governed Cameroon since 1982 and is now 93 years old, Leo XIV delivered what reporters described as a speech of rare firmness for a visiting head of state. „In order for peace and justice to prevail, the chains of corruption — which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility — must be broken” — Pope Leo XIV via Al Jazeera Online The pope also called on authorities to protect the most vulnerable, promote social justice, and listen to those on the margins of society. Biya, for his part, welcomed the visit in measured terms, stating that "the world needs the message of peace, justice, tolerance, forgiveness, and love" that Leo XIV carries. Transparency International ranked Cameroon 142 (out of 182) — Cameroon's rank in 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index in its 2025 corruption index. Civil society organizations had issued a declaration ahead of the visit denouncing what they called "a phase of unprecedented repression" and demanding the release of political prisoners, some held outside any legal framework. According to Deutsche Welle, approximately 2,900 people remain in detention in Cameroon, the majority in pre-trial or temporary status.

Separatist truce offers fragile window for papal peace mission The visit carries particular weight given the ongoing conflict in Cameroon's two Anglophone regions, where a separatist insurgency has claimed at least 6,000 civilian lives since 2016, according to the United Nations. A separatist alliance announced on Monday a three-day "safe travel passage," pausing hostilities to allow civilians and visitors to move freely during the pope's stay. Leo XIV is scheduled to travel on Thursday to Bamenda, Cameroon's largest English-speaking city, where he will hold Mass and a "meeting for peace" in a cathedral. The biggest event of the Cameroon leg is expected on Friday in the coastal city of Douala, where the Vatican said some 600,000 people are expected to attend an open-air Mass. The conflict, which began after peaceful demonstrations were violently suppressed, has left civilians caught between government forces and independence activists who proclaim the "Republic of Ambazonia," with kidnappings for ransom, extortion, and assassinations documented by human rights groups. In Cameroon, approximately 37 percent of the country's roughly 30 million inhabitants are Catholic, and the Church manages an extensive network of hospitals, schools, and charitable institutions.

Trump feud shadows tour as pope vows to keep criticizing Iran war The African tour has unfolded against the backdrop of a public confrontation between Leo XIV and Trump, who called the pontiff "terrible" on social media on Sunday and doubled down on Tuesday night, also accusing him of being "bad at foreign policy." The pope told Reuters on Monday that he planned to keep criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, regardless of Trump's comments, and has previously described Trump's threats to destroy Iranian civilization as "truly unacceptable." The conflict has become a central fault line between the Vatican and the Trump administration. Speaking aboard his flight from Algeria to Cameroon, Leo XIV said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, and reflected on his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers as evidence that people of different faiths can live together. „Despite our different faiths, lifestyles, and ways of worshipping God, we can still live together in peace” — Pope Leo XIV via ANSA Trump's attacks on the pope have drawn backlash from U.S. Christians across the political spectrum, according to Reuters. Leo XIV, aged 70, is traversing over 18 flights to 11 cities and towns, in what Reuters described as one of the most logistically complicated tours arranged for a pontiff in decades.

Cameroon was a German colonial territory before being divided between Britain and France following World War One. The Anglophone crisis dates to 2017, when protests by lawyers and teachers in the English-speaking regions over perceived marginalization were met with a violent government crackdown, eventually escalating into a full separatist insurgency. The Catholic Church has historically played a mediation role in Cameroon's political and social life, managing a broad network of schools, hospitals, and charitable works. Paul Biya has governed Cameroon since 1982, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world. Pope Leo XIV was elected in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis, becoming the first pontiff born in the United States.