Thousands of jubilant Cameroonians filled the streets of Yaoundé on Wednesday, singing and dancing under the afternoon sun as they welcomed Pope Leo XIV at the start of a highly anticipated three-day visit to the Central African nation.
The pontiff’s plane touched down in the capital shortly before 3:00 pm local time (1400 GMT), according to journalists traveling with the papal delegation. His arrival follows a turbulent stop in Algeria, where two suicide attacks and a diplomatic spat with former US President Donald Trump cast a shadow over the early leg of his African tour.
In Cameroon, however, the mood was markedly different. Crowds gathered outside the airport, waving flags and banners adorned with the pope’s image, expressing hope that his presence could bring healing to a country grappling with a nearly decade-long separatist conflict.
“We hope that as soon as he sets foot on Cameroonian soil, the war will stop,” said Benedicte Belinka, dressed in a tunic bearing the pope’s portrait.
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Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, is expected to deliver a strong message of peace during his visit, including a trip to the epicentre of the ongoing conflict in the country’s English-speaking regions.
Later on Wednesday, the 70-year-old pope is scheduled to meet President Paul Biya, who at 93 is the world’s oldest sitting head of state and has ruled Cameroon since 1982. The meeting has stirred debate within the country’s Catholic community, with some clergy expressing concern that it could bolster Biya’s image amid criticism over his disputed re-election and the violent suppression of protests.
Despite the controversy, the Catholic Church remains a powerful institution in Cameroon, where more than a third of the population of around 30 million identifies as Catholic. The Church plays a crucial role in mediating conflicts and provides extensive social services through its network of hospitals, schools, and charitable organizations.
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The pope’s visit has transformed Yaoundé, with posters, banners, and flags decorating the city in celebration. This marks the fourth papal visit to Cameroon and the first since Pope Benedict XVI’s trip in 2009.
In addition to his meeting with the president, Pope Leo XIV is set to visit a Catholic orphanage and hold private talks with Cameroonian bishops, further underscoring his focus on compassion, unity, and reconciliation.
As anticipation builds, many in Cameroon are looking to the pope not just as a spiritual leader, but as a symbol of hope in a time of deep national division.
