Sawt Falasteen - Pope slams 'tyrants' on Cameroon conflict visit after spat with Trump

Since his landmark four-nation African tour kicked off earlier this week -- after Trump lashed out against the pope's criticism of the Middle East war -- the pope has abandoned his previous restraint in speaking out in favour of world peace.

"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth," Leo said in the northwestern city of Bamenda, the epicentre of a nearly decade-long English-speaking separatist insurgency that has killed thousands.

"The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters," the pontiff warned, in a solemn speech at Bamenda's Saint Joseph's Cathedral.

Coming after US Vice President JD Vance -- a Catholic -- urged the Vatican to "stick to matters of morality", the remarks could deepen the rift between the Trump administration and the Chicago-born pontiff.

Yet the mood was joyous as the pope arrived under a military escort in a popemobile with bulletproof windows, blessing the worshippers who had gathered, many singing and blowing vuvuzela horns, to welcome him to Bamenda.

As he left the cathedral, Leo released white doves, a symbol of peace in a region of the central African country he called a "bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated".

"Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death," he said.

"They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found," Leo added.

- 'Plunder' of Africa -

Later on Thursday at Bamenda airport -- which was renovated for the pope's visit after being shut since 2019 due to the separatist insurgency -- Leo criticised the ongoing exploitation of Africa in a mass to worshippers.

In an address with a strong social message, the pope bemoaned "those who, in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it".

Cameroon is rich in natural resources such as oil, timber, cocoa, coffee and minerals, which have attracted both foreign firms and local elites for decades.

On arrival in the country on Wednesday, the pope appealed to Cameroon's leaders to examine their "conscience" and tackle corruption and rights abuses, in an uncharacteristically pointed speech at the presidential palace attended by President Paul Biya.

Leo's trip, the fourth to Cameroon by a pope and the first since Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, comes six months after the authorities violently put down protests against 93-year-old Biya's disputed re-election for an eighth term.

- Bolstered security -

Security measures had been stepped up on the main routes through Bamenda for the visit.

Cameroon's two anglophone regions have suffered almost a decade of armed violence following attempts to secede from the rest of the mostly French-speaking central African country.

Teacher Vivian Ndey, 60, from Bamenda, welcomed the pope carrying a "plant of peace" as a symbol of hope.

She spoke at the cathedral of the difficulty of teaching during the crisis, saying teachers were afraid to come to class and students had vanished.

Conflict erupted after Biya, who has ruled since 1982, violently repressed peaceful demonstrations in 2016 by English speakers who felt marginalised.

Civilians have been targeted with killings and kidnappings. At least 6,000 people have been killed since 2016, according to the United Nations.

Separatist fighters declared a Republic of Ambazonia in the two regions, which account for around a fifth of the population.

On Monday, separatist groups announced a three-day truce to allow for a safe welcome for the pontiff.

The separatists also have high hopes for the visit.

The Unity Warriors of Ambazonia told AFP it hoped Leo would press the government to restart talks "where the origins of the conflict could be discussed".

A.AlHaj--SF-PST