Pope Leo XIV Condemns Exploitation of Africa During Visit to Cameroon

Thu Apr 16 2026 19:56:03 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a powerful address at Bamenda Airport, Pope Leo XIV criticized foreign exploitation of Africa's wealth amid its ongoing conflicts, calling for systemic change and integrity from local leaders.

Pope Leo XIV, during his visit to conflict-hit Cameroon, slammed foreign entities for plundering Africa's resources for profit. Speaking to 20,000 worshippers in Bamenda, he implored the international community to stop exploiting the continent, stating that peace can only happen if local leaders eradicate corruption. His visit emphasized hope for peace amidst a ten-year insurgency affecting English-speaking regions.

Pope Leo XIV has criticized foreigners who exploit the wealth of Africa for profit during his visit to a conflict-hit region of Cameroon.

It is one of several forthright remarks he has made over the last day, including blasting those who spend billions on wars and telling Cameroon's government to root out corruption for peace to prevail.

He has spent the day in Bamenda, a city at the center of Cameroon's brutal and long-running separatist rebellion.

Internal problems were exacerbated by outsiders who in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it, he told an estimated 20,000 worshippers at a Mass at Bamenda Airport.

Earlier, joyful crowds sang, drummed and waved flags to welcome the leader of the Catholic Church, who arrived under military escort in a bullet-proof white vehicle.

Ahead of his visit, Anglophone separatists had announced a period of safe travel passage.

The Pope's first stop was at a peace meeting in Bamenda held at Saint Joseph's Cathedral about the nearly 10-year insurgency in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions that has left at least 6,000 people dead and many more forced from their homes.

The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, he told the gathering - comments that follow US President Donald Trump's recent criticism of Leo, who last year became the first US-born Pope.

Since 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state in Cameroon's Anglophone region have been fighting government forces. They are angered by what they see as the marginalization of Cameroon's English-speaking minority by the Francophone-dominated government.

The Pope commended the efforts of local religious leaders and victims of conflict who shared their struggles during the gathering, emphasizing that the ongoing humanitarian crises should inspire collective action for peace.

His visit is a call not only for local unity but also for the global community to adopt a more compassionate attitude towards Africa, fostering not just understanding but also actionable support against injustices.