Pope Leo XIV Denounces Global 'Tyrants' During Peace Mission to Conflict-Torn Cameroon

Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, delivered a forceful condemnation of global leaders during a visit to Bamenda, Cameroon, on Thursday, April 16, 2026, declaring that the world was "being destroyed by a handful of tyrants" who spend billions on war while neglecting education and health. The remarks came on the second stop of an 11-day Africa tour and were widely interpreted as a response to repeated social media attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days. Speaking at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bamenda, Leo XIV addressed the heart of Cameroon's Anglophone separatist conflict, a region he described as a "land bloodied but fertile." He did not name any country or politician explicitly, but his words carried unmistakable weight given the political backdrop. „The world is being destroyed by a handful of tyrants and sustained by myriads of solidary brothers and sisters.” — Pope Leo XIV via Reuters The pontiff also warned against leaders who "bend religions and even the name of God for their military, economic, and political purposes."

Billions spent on war, not on healing or schools Leo XIV's speech in Bamenda drew directly on the suffering of the local population to make a broader argument about global priorities. He accused unnamed actors of stripping the land of resources and reinvesting the profits in weapons, fueling what he called "a spiral of destabilization and endless death." „They pretend to turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are needed to kill and devastate, but that the necessary resources cannot be found to heal, educate, and lift up.” — Pope Leo XIV via Courrier international The pope praised the joint peace efforts of Christians and Muslims in the region, describing their cooperation as a model he wished could be replicated "in so many places on earth." He arrived in Bamenda in a Popemobile with armored glass and under military escort, greeted by crowds waving Cameroonian and Vatican flags and dressed in colorful traditional outfits bearing his image. A mass with tens of thousands of faithful was also scheduled for Thursday in the city. On Monday, some armed groups had announced a three-day truce in the two English-speaking regions to allow for the papal visit to proceed safely.

Conflict has killed over 6,000 and displaced 600,000 since 2017 The Anglophone conflict that brought Leo XIV to Bamenda has its roots in colonial-era divisions and decades of political grievance. Cameroon was divided between British and French colonial control following World War I. At independence in 1960-1961, the two territories reunited into a federal state, with the French-speaking section comprising roughly 80 percent of both territory and population. Tensions escalated sharply in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions' schools and courts, triggering protests that security forces violently suppressed. A full separatist rebellion launched in 2017 gave rise to calls for an independent state called Ambazonia. A national dialogue in 2019 granted special status to the northwest and southwest regions, but many of the resulting proposals were never implemented. The conflict has killed more than and displaced over 600,000 others, according to the UN. Both separatist groups and government security forces have been regularly accused of atrocities, with civilians subjected to extortion, kidnappings for ransom, and assassinations. Separatist leaders, many of them based abroad after being blacklisted by the Cameroonian government, have complicated peace efforts, according to analysts. In September 2024, Norway charged Lucas Ayaba Cho, commander of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, with incitement to commit crimes against humanity — a charge he contested. In March 2026, Belgium arrested four people suspected of being separatist leaders raising funds for the movement from Belgian territory.

Pope met 93-year-old Biya, called for end to corruption The day before his Bamenda visit, Leo XIV met with Cameroonian President Paul Biya, 93, who has governed the country since 1982 and is widely described as one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world. The pope delivered what sources described as a speech of rare firmness to the assembled authorities, calling on them to "break the chains of corruption" and respect human rights and the rule of law. „Let us serve peace together.” — Pope Leo XIV via Courrier international Watson.ch reported that around 40 percent of Cameroon's roughly 30 million inhabitants live in poverty, and that opposition, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are severely restricted in the country. The separatist group Unity Warriors of Ambazonia told AFP it hoped the pope would pressure the government to restart negotiations addressing the roots of the conflict. Leo XIV's Africa tour, which began in Algeria, is set to continue across four nations over 11 days. His remarks in Bamenda, coming in the wake of Trump's social media criticism, signaled that the first American pope does not intend to moderate his public positions under pressure from Washington.

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