By Our Correspondent

National News – Pope Leo XIV will begin his first major foreign tour of Africa on Monday, April 13, 2026, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

The 11-day visit, which runs until April 23, will see the 70-year-old pontiff travel over 18,000 kilometres, delivering 11 speeches, celebrating seven masses, and addressing key global and regional concerns.

The visit aims to strengthen interfaith dialogue, promote peace, and address inequality and human rights issues across Africa.

In Algeria, where Islam is the state religion, the pope will meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, marking the first papal visit to the country.

He will also honour victims of the 1992–2002 civil war.

In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV is expected to focus on peace and reconciliation amid the long-running Anglophone crisis.

He will visit Bamenda, a conflict hotspot, and meet President Paul Biya, while engaging with the Catholic Church’s humanitarian institutions.

During his stop in Angola, the pope will highlight economic inequality despite the country’s oil wealth, urging fair distribution of resources and anti-corruption efforts.

He will visit Luanda and the historic town of Muxima, a significant religious site.

In Equatorial Guinea, led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the pope is expected to carefully balance support for Catholics with calls for human rights and social justice in a politically sensitive environment.

The tour comes at a time of global uncertainty, including tensions in the Middle East, making the pope’s message particularly significant for both Africa and the wider world.