Cameroon’s Anglophone separatist groups have announced a temporary halt to fighting ahead of a visit by Pope Leo XIV to the country’s conflict-hit northwest, declaring a three-day “safe passage” to allow civilians to travel freely.
Leaders of several armed factions, operating under the Unity Alliance umbrella, said the pause would coincide with the pontiff’s arrival in Bamenda, the capital of the North-West region and a focal point of the country’s long-running separatist conflict.
In a joint statement, the groups described the decision as a recognition of the “profound spiritual importance” of the papal visit, adding that it aimed to safeguard civilian life and facilitate participation in religious events. The Cameroonian government has not publicly responded to the announcement.
The visit comes against the backdrop of nearly a decade of violence between separatist fighters and state forces in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, a conflict that has killed at least 6,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
The Pope is currently in Algeria as part of an 11-day African tour that includes stops in Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Peace and reconciliation have been central themes of his trip.
During his visit to the coastal city of Annaba, the pontiff reiterated calls for an end to violence, saying that “God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice and lies,” and emphasising solidarity with the vulnerable and oppressed.
His upcoming stop in Bamenda is expected to carry strong symbolic weight. The city has become a centre of resistance in the Anglophone crisis, where separatists are seeking independence from the francophone-dominated government of President Paul Biya.
A national dialogue launched by the government in 2019 failed to end the conflict, which continues to destabilise the North-West and South-West regions.
The Unity Alliance said its ceasefire reflects a commitment to “responsibility, restraint, and respect for human dignity,” while urging that the Pope’s visit remain strictly spiritual and not be politicised.
Authorities in Cameroon say security measures have been put in place across cities scheduled to host the Pope, with officials pledging safe access to all public events, including a planned peace gathering at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda.
The visit is widely seen as an effort by the Catholic Church to promote dialogue and reconciliation in one of Central Africa’s most protracted conflicts. Africa is home to more than 288 million Catholics, accounting for over a fifth of the global Catholic population, underscoring the continent’s growing importance to the Vatican.