US EditionWhat to know about Cameroon’s separatist violence that the pope seeks to end
The rare meeting seeks to end a conflict that has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000, officials said.
- On Thursday, April 16, 2026, Pope Leo XIV led a peace meeting at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, on the fourth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa.
- The conflict stems from a post-World War I colonial split, with English-speaking regions making up about 20% of the roughly 30 million population claiming marginalization by the French-majority government under President Paul Biya.
- Fighting has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000, while civil society leader Colbert Gwain Fulai noted the government frames the crisis as one needing military solution rather than dialogue.
- Residents expressed mixed feelings of hope and doubt about the rare gathering, while Lucas Asu, spokesperson for the Ambazonia Governing Council, said they are committed to a peaceful settlement through dialogue.
- Separatist leaders based abroad appear "determined to double down, wagering on the absence of sustained peace efforts," the Crisis Group stated last year, leaving a permanent solution far off.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Associated Press News
What to know about Cameroon's separatist violence that the pope seeks to end
Pope Leo XIV has led a peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwestern city of Bamenda, which is part of a region battered by a separatist violence.
‘We can always begin anew’: Pope Leo leads peace meeting in Cameroon’s conflict zone
BAMENDA, Cameroon — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence.“We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slept nor ate,” …
'We can always begin anew': Pope Leo leads peace meeting in heart of Cameroon's conflict zone
BAMENDA, Cameroon (OSV News) — A religious sister in Cameroon who was kidnapped just a few months ago by separatists and held hostage for three days in the bush was among those who shared her testimony with Pope Leo XIV April 16 in an emotional peace meeting in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, a region marred by years of separatist violence. “We were held hostage for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, we neither slep…
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