Pontiff says peace cannot be decreed as La République continues deadly campaign across Ambazonia
By Mbah Godlove l BaretaNews
The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has issued a strong message to the regime in Yaoundé, calling for genuine justice, peace, and reconciliation to end the ongoing war in Ambazonia, now entering its tenth year. Speaking on Wednesday during the opening of his four-day mission, the pontiff made it clear that empty rhetoric will not resolve the crisis that has plunged Southern Cameroons into bloodshed.
During a brief but symbolic ceremony at Etoudi, where he was officially received by the Biya regime, the Holy Father openly indicted French Cameroun authorities for what he described as using peace as a mere slogan. In firm language, Pope Leo XIV urged the colonial administration to open their minds and accept the truth he brings as the successor of Saint Peter. He stressed that any meaningful end to the conflict must be rooted in genuine justice and honest reconciliation, not political manipulation.
“Peace cannot be reduced to decrees,” the pontiff declared, sending a direct message to a regime long accused by Ambazonians of imposing military solutions on a deeply political crisis. His remarks come at a time when La République continues to intensify military operations across key Ambazonian counties, leaving behind destruction and fear.
The papal visit follows years of sustained violence across Ambazonia, where thousands of civilians have been killed and many more detained under harsh and degrading conditions in detention centers scattered across French Cameroun and occupied Southern Cameroons. Entire communities in counties such as Mezam, Manyu, and Bui have faced repeated raids, with homes burnt, livestock destroyed, and livelihoods wiped out.
Over one million Ambazonians remain internally displaced or living as refugees, as villages and towns continue to witness the presence of occupation forces. Despite this grim reality, the Yaoundé regime has attempted to project an image of recovery through the creation of a so-called reconstruction and development commission, a move widely seen by Ambazonians as a cover-up while the war machinery remains active on the ground.
Observers say the message from Pope Leo XIV carries significant moral weight, especially given the Catholic Church’s influence across Southern Cameroons. Many now wait to see whether the regime in Yaoundé will heed the call for genuine dialogue or continue down a path that has only deepened the crisis.
For Ambazonians, the pope’s words echo a long-standing demand that the path to peace must pass through truth, justice, and sincere negotiations, not force.
