Cameroon: Separatists Grant 3-Day Safe Passage for Pope Leo XIV’s Visit

Pope Leo XIV prays during an evening prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 11, 2026. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

BAMENDA, Cameroon — 

Ambazonian separatists have decreed a three-day "safe passage," from midnight on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to noon on Friday, April 17, to allow the free movement of worshippers and supporters during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Bamenda, a city affected by the conflict, on Thursday, April 16.

The announcement was made in a joint statement by Bar Fru Joseph Awah (Ambazonian Prisoners of Conscience and War) and Dr. Julius Nyih (Ambazonia Governing Council).

They welcomed the Vatican's consistent call for justice and dialogue as the path to peace, particularly in the Ambazonian conflict that has raged since 2017.

Pope Leo XIV arrives in Cameroon on Wednesday and will travel to Bamenda on Thursday for a peace meeting at St. Joseph's Cathedral and a Mass at Bamenda International Airport.