Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Bamenda rekindles hope for peace as Archbishop Nkea highlights eight years of suffering in Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.
Newsroom (17/04/2026 Gaudium Press) At a critical moment for Cameroon’s conflict-stricken Anglophone regions, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda has expressed renewed hope that the visit of Pope Leo XIV could mark a decisive turning point toward peace.
Speaking during a meeting for peace held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda on Thursday, April 16, Archbishop Nkea welcomed the Pontiff with a message that was both urgent and deeply reflective of the prolonged suffering endured in the North West and South West regions.
“With your presence here, I can confidently say: Now is the time for peace,” Archbishop Nkea declared, addressing Pope Leo XIV before a diverse gathering of religious and community leaders.
The Archbishop underscored the significance of the Pope’s visit, describing it as both timely and necessary for a population worn down by nearly eight years of violence. He emphasized that the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda—aligned geographically with the civil territories most affected by the Anglophone crisis—has borne the brunt of the turmoil.
“Most Holy Father, you have come to visit us at a time when the people of this Ecclesiastical Province… need your presence and your comfort the most,” he said.
Archbishop Nkea painted a stark picture of the human cost of the conflict. He recounted widespread displacement, with thousands forced either into internal exile or across borders as refugees. Economic life has been severely disrupted, with businesses shuttered and entire communities destabilized.
Particularly devastating has been the impact on children. “For about four years, our children were not allowed to go to school,” he said, adding that young people were “used as bait for political motives and struggle.”
The violence has not spared religious leaders. According to Archbishop Nkea, priests, religious, and even bishops have faced harassment, beatings, kidnappings, and killings. Despite these dangers, he emphasized that the Church has remained steadfast in its mission, continuing to offer spiritual guidance and hope to traumatized communities.
The broader social consequences have been equally severe. “Many women have been rendered widows, children rendered orphans, and many people rendered homeless by this crisis,” he said.
Against this backdrop of suffering, the Archbishop framed the Pope’s visit as a powerful symbol of reconciliation and divine presence. “We are happy because in this time of crisis, we see you as a messenger of peace; we see you as an ambassador of reconciliation; we see you as a promoter of justice,” he said. “We see in you the presence of God Himself among us who has come to visit his people like the dawn from on high.”
Archbishop Nkea also reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to leveraging this moment for lasting change. “We shall not waste the chance that your presence offers us to continue to work for peace and justice and reconciliation,” he pledged.
He expressed a collective aspiration that the Pope’s visit would inspire a shift away from violence. “We believe that your visit will not leave us to continue fighting but to start loving one another,” he said.
The gathering itself reflected a rare moment of unity across religious and social divides. Participants included traditional rulers, Protestant leaders, members of the Islamic community, clergy, catechists, seminarians, and lay faithful—many of whom have endured the crisis firsthand.
“These have lived this situation together,” Archbishop Nkea noted, adding that some attendees would share personal testimonies from the past eight years.
In his closing remarks, the Archbishop extended a warm welcome to Pope Leo XIV, capturing the emotional weight of the occasion. “The People of God in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda warmly welcome you. Our hearts are full of joy, and it sounds unbelievable that the Successor of St. Peter is among us in this remote part of Africa.”
For many in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, the visit represents more than a symbolic gesture—it is a moment charged with the possibility of healing, reconciliation, and a long-awaited path toward peace.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACi Africa
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