Headline News

13, February 2026

World’s rules-based order ‘no longer exists’, Germany’s Merz warns ⁰

The rules-based world order “no longer exists”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned world leaders at a major security summit.

Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, he said “our freedom is not guaranteed” in an era of big power politics, and Europeans must be ready to make “sacrifice”.

Merz also admitted that “a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States” – an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s threat to Denmark’s sovereignty by pledging to annex Greenland and his tariff policies towards other European nations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was listening to Merz and will deliver his own speech on Saturday, earlier spoke of a “new era in geopolitics”.

Some 50 world leaders are expected to attend this year’s conference, where European defence and the future of the transatlantic relationship will be discussed.

It comes at a time when US commitments to the Nato military alliance have been called into question. Trump’s ambition to acquire Greenland has also been viewed by many European leaders as a watershed moment that has eroded trust with its biggest ally.

The Russia-Ukraine war, tensions between the West and China, as well as a potential Iran-US nuclear deal are also on the agenda at the annual gathering.

Referring to multiple warnings that the rules-based order was collapsing, Merz told the conference: “I fear we must put it even more bluntly: this order, however imperfect it was even at its best, no longer exists in that form.”

He also said that “a rift, a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States. Vice-President JD Vance said this very openly here in Munich a year ago.

“He was right. The culture war of the MAGA [Make America Great Again] movement is not ours. Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.”

Last year, Vance attacked Europe, including the UK, for policies on free speech and immigration. His speech triggered a year of unprecedented transatlantic tension.

But Merz did not write off the decades-long partnership, instead appealing directly to the US by saying “let’s repair and revive transatlantic trust”.

The German leader also revealed that “confidential talks” were ongoing with Macron on creating a joint European nuclear deterrent. He gave no further details.

France and the UK are the only two nuclear powers in Europe – but Germany and many other European nations have traditionally relied on the US nuclear umbrella within the Nato alliance for deterrence.

Ahead of the Munich conference, Rubio warned that “the world is changing very fast right in front of us” after being asked whether his message to Europeans would be more conciliatory than Vance’s a year ago.

“We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

Tensions have been heightened in recent months as Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security, stating without evidence that it was “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place”.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Friday she planned to meet Rubio to discuss the US threats to seize Greenland – Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory from its Nato ally.

Source: BBC

13, February 2026

Biya regime clamps down on shadow fleet as flag purge begins ⁰

Following pressure from the European Union and Ukraine, Cameroon’s government is finally clamping down on shadow ships using its register.

Cameroon’s flag has grown by 126% over the past 12 months and is now Africa’s third-largest, according to data from Clarksons Research, largely thanks to Russian-linked tonnage entering its books. The average age of ships flying the Cameroon flag is 32.7 years.

Prime minister Joseph Dion Ngute, has now taken steps to purge the country’s flag of dark fleet tonnage. Cameroon has suspended new registrations of ships thought to be part of the shadow fleet, as well as setting out to deregister shadow ships that are already on its books.

Splash has reported repeatedly about accidents involving ageing Cameroon tonnage around the world in recent years, such as the grounding of the Liberty suezmax off Batam in late 2023 (pictured).

Source: Splash 247

13, February 2026

Pope Leo appoints Fr John Tatah as auxiliary bishop of Bamenda ⁰

The announcement of the Holy Father’s decision was read on Friday, 13 February 2026, by His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Bamenda Archdiocese.

Archbishop Nkea made the announcement at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda before a crowd of faithful. This appointment by Pope Leo XIV is a form of recognition for Father John Berinyuy.

In November 2025, Father John Berinyuy Tatah was kidnapped in the district of Ndop, in the North-West region. He was released a few days later after the expiry of the ultimatum set by Archbishop Andrew Nkea, who had warned that Catholic institutions in the area would be closed if the priest remained in captivity beyond 26 November. The Archdiocese had also planned a peaceful march to demand his release.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Fon Lawrence

13, February 2026

Norway’s former PM charged with gross corruption over Epstein links ⁰

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with “gross corruption” over his ties with the US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, police have said.

The charge was brought after the Council of Europe lifted Jagland’s immunity, which he enjoyed because of his past diplomatic role. He denies criminal liability and is willing to cooperate, his lawyer says.

Emails released by the US government are thought to show that Jagland planned solo and family visits to Epstein’s homes in Paris, New York and Palm Beach after the billionaire was convicted of a child sex offence.

Three of Jagland’s properties were searched by Norwegian crime unit Økokrim and he is now expected to be questioned.

As well as serving as prime minister from 1996 to 1997, Jagland is also a former head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and spent a decade as secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Jagland had diplomatic immunity from heading the Council, Europe’s watchdog for democracy and human rights, for alleged acts carried out during his 2009 to 2019 tenure.

Økokrim requested the Council revoke his immunity after it launched an investigation earlier this month into allegations of gross corruption made against him between 2011 and 2018.

The so-called Epstein files appear to show instances where the late financier covered the travel expenses to his properties for Jagland and his family.

The former leader had planned a family trip to Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2014, but it was ultimately cancelled after Epstein fell ill.

Jagland also faces allegations that he solicited Epstein’s help in obtaining a bank loan in another exchange, although it is not clear whether this materialised, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Police have not confirmed whether this allegation is part of the gross corruption charge.

Mention in the Epstein files – which have been released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) – does not indicate any wrongdoing.

Jagland was seen walking out of his home alongside his lawyer in Oslo on Thursday, one of the properties – alongside two in Risør and Rauland – that Økokrim confirmed it had searched.

Politicians, celebrities and royals have been caught up in the turmoil after the US DOJ published the latest tranche of files last month, containing millions of private emails, images and FBI reports into the late sex offender – who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

The Nordic country has seen several public figures drawn into the widening scandal, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, and chief executive of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Borge Brende.

Mette-Marit gave a “profound apology” to Norwegians for her friendship with Epstein, after it emerged they had exchanged messages for three years.

Mona Juul and her husband Terje Rød-Larsen are also being investigated by Norway’s Økokrim for “aggravated corruption” following Norwegian media reports, that each of her children would receive $5m (£3.6m) in a will allegedly signed by Epstein days before he died.

Juul’s lawyer has said she “does not recognise the accusations made against her” and Rød-Larsen’s lawyer said he is confident the investigation will clarify “there is no basis for criminal liability”.

The WEF ordered an independent review into Brende – who also served as the Norwegian foreign minister – over his interactions with the paedophile.

Brende has acknowledged dining with Epstein three times in 2018 and 2019 and communicating with him by email and text, but said he was “completely unaware” of his past criminal activity. He added that he welcomes the WEF’s decision to launch a review.

Source: BBC

13, February 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Norway extends pre-trial detention of Ayaba Cho ⁰

Judge Yngvild Thue of the Oslo District Court extended the pre-trial detention of Cho Lucas Yabah, a separatist leader based in Norway and known as “Ayaba Cho Lucas,” until April 6, 2026. The court recorded the decision in the minutes of the Feb. 9, 2026 hearing, which marked the expiration of the previous detention period.

The court document states that “Cho Lucas Yabah, born August 11, 1972, may remain in pre-trial detention until another decision is taken by the public prosecutor or by the court, but not beyond April 6, 2026.”

Detention renewed every two months since September 2024

Authorities have held Ayaba Cho in custody since September 2024. The judge has renewed his detention every two months, according to the court record. Norwegian authorities opened the case following his arrest in Oslo, which officials announced in September 2024.

After 18 months of repeated denials of release and the addition of new charges of terrorist conspiracy, the prospect of short-term release has diminished, based on the reported elements.

The court could open the trial later this year, as judicial authorities complete the investigation file and finalize the review of evidence gathered since the arrest. Ayaba Cho, who is Cameroonian by origin, naturalized German and resident in Norway, faces a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison for alleged involvement in killings attributed to separatist militias under his command in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions.

Source: Sbbc

11, February 2026

Yaoundé: Biya delays elections once again ⁰

President Paul Biya announced on Tuesday evening a “slight readjustment” of the timing of legislative and municipal elections that were expected at the start of February.

Originally scheduled for 2025, the elections had already been postponed once until early 2026. No new date was set.

In his televised address on the occasion of the 60th Youth Day, a rare public appearance by the nearly 93-year-old head of state, Biya justified the postponement by citing “certain compelling constraints”, while assuring that “the relevant provisions of the laws, and particularly the Constitution, would be respected”.

He also promised to form a new government, having announced its dissolution in his annual speech on New Year’s Eve.

In his speech, he acknowledged the difficulty many young Cameroonians have in finding work, but also called on them to avoid “delinquency, alcohol abuse drug use, and excessive use of social media”.

Cameroon’s Youth Day is traditionally one of the few times the president addresses the nation directly.

Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, has been in power since 1982 and was re-elected in October to an eighth term, leading to protests that were violently suppressed.

Source: Africa News

10, February 2026

Biya’s message to the Youth on the 60th edition of the National Youth Day ⁰

My dear young compatriots,

The celebration of this sixtieth edition of the National Youth Day is once more a welcome opportunity for me to address you on the many issues that concern you.

I am aware that these issues relate to your current situation, but also, and above all, to your future. They concern your difficulties, frustrations, fears and worries. They also relate to your hopes, expectations and legitimate aspirations.

My dear young compatriots,

I am fully aware of your concerns, all the more so because, under my authority, the Government is making tireless and commendable efforts to seek appropriate solutions to them.

This comes as no surprise. I have never stopped, and will never stop, caring about you.

My dear young compatriots,

As I address you this evening, just a few months after my re-election as President of the Republic, I wish to express my deep satisfaction for the role you played in this election and, above all, to thank you most sincerely for your invaluable support, without which none of this would have been possible.

I am aware that the key element in this particularly hard-fought election was undoubtedly the support of a large majority of young people for the vision for society as well as your appreciation of the track record I presented. I also sincerely believe that it reflects the trust and loyalty you have consistently shown me since I assumed office at the helm of our country. For this, I am deeply grateful to you.

My dear young compatriots,

When taking the oath of office, I made a solemn commitment before you and before the entire Nation, to devote all my energies for the advent of a stable, united and prosperous Cameroon.

I intend to honour this commitment, regardless of the difficulties and obstacles arising from an ever increasingly challenging international environment. I am convinced that we will succeed in achieving this objective together, thanks to my unwavering determination, your courage and your multiple talents.

My dear young compatriots,

I am aware that some of you are at a loss when you encounter difficulties in finding a job or achieving your goals. This prompts you to doubt the future and to give up on your dreams or embark on some dangerous venture.

This can, in no way, be the solution. I encourage them to rather persevere. I encourage them to continue to trust their abilities. I encourage them to continue to be enterprising and forge ahead, no matter the difficulties and obstacles. This is the key to success.

My dear young compatriots,

I promised you in my recent speeches, that your integration into the labour market would be one of the main priorities of this seven-year term.

That is the objective of the Special Youth Employment Promotion Plan that I recently announced. The Government has already prepared related incentive measures. The Plan aims to foster genuine synergy between the State, the private sector and the wider society to promote job creation for young people.

In this regard, I would like to mention, among other things, tax exemptions granted to businesses that recruit young graduates, the allocation of 50 billion CFA francs provided for in the Finance Law to promote youth entrepreneurship, the increase in subsidies to the National Employment Fund, and measures taken to integrate young people into State-financed labour-intensive works.

All these efforts, my dear young compatriots, mark the start of implementation of the commitments I made recently to you.

My dear young compatriots,

Under my authority, the Government will continue to allocate substantial resources to strengthen and improve the education system.

My objective is to offer as many of you as possible the opportunity to access quality training, that will enable you not only to find jobs, but also to create them.

As you are aware, recruitment in the public sector or enterprises cannot alone fully resolve the thorny issue of youth unemployment. That is why I will continue to encourage youth entrepreneurship and ensure that young people receive appropriate Government support to that end.

Despite the challenging context, I am pleased to note that many of you are excelling in the agricultural processing, construction, services and digital sectors where you start up businesses and create jobs each day. With each passing day, you distinguish yourselves with boldness and competence in all areas of national life.

In this regard, I would like to commend your invaluable contribution within our defence and security forces to ensuring our common protection.

I would like to pay tribute to all of you, young people in the informal sector, who have chosen to steer clear of criminal and delinquent activities and struggle daily to feed your families. Note that, in my view, there is no such thing as odd-job and there will never be. You all play an essential role in the building and progress of our beloved and great country.

That is why I will ensure that an increasing number of you, women like men, are gradually entrusted with high responsibilities in the management of public affairs.

Various opportunities come to my mind in this regard, including the upcoming reshuffle of managers of State corporations, the formation of the next government, which I know is eagerly awaited, as well as the organization of legislative and municipal elections, though the timeframe for the elections may require a minor adjustment due to pressing constraints, in compliance with the relevant provisions of our laws, especially the Constitution.

My dear young compatriots,

I would also like to remind you this evening that besides the rights you have, you also have responsibilities towards your parents and the national community. I wish to appeal especially to your sense of responsibility. The future of our beloved and great country, Cameroon, lies in your hands. You must be aware of this. You should therefore resolutely shun the excesses in which some of you have unfortunately drifted in recent times, including delinquency, alcohol abuse, drug use, immoral behaviour, the excessive and abusive use of social media, etc.

I also urge your parents and educators to act responsibly. They must fully assume their responsibility towards you and refrain from tolerating, facilitating or encouraging your deviant behaviour. In this regard, I have issued firm instructions to the relevant authorities to strengthen the protection of young girls in schools, families and workplaces, as they are too often victims of all kinds of harassment and abuse.

My dear young compatriots,

I wish to reaffirm my commitment to spare no effort in creating the most conducive conditions for your development. This underpins the instructions I have issued to the Government to act more effectively. It is the objective of the reforms I intend to implement soon to improve the functioning of the State. It is also the objective of the relentless fight I intend to wedge against corruption and the embezzlement of public funds.

My dear young compatriots,

As you prepare to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the national day dedicated to you, I wish to commend the maturity you have consistently demonstrated in all circumstances. Once again, I commend your decisive contribution to building our great and beautiful nation.

I urge you to continue working to preserve our precious achievements, namely peace, national unity and stability of our institutions.

Happy Youth Day to you all!

Long live Cameroon!

10, February 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 5 killed in clashes in Ntumbaw ⁰

At least five people have been killed in clashes in the Northwest Region, security sources said on Monday.

Four people were killed Sunday night when armed men raided Ntumbaw Village. Another commercial motorcyclist was also killed early Monday as clashes erupted in several neighborhoods of Bamenda, the region’s capital, a security source said.

“The sad incident in Ntumbaw has left villagers in a terribly painful situation. Losing four of their sons in a single night is hard to bear. In Bamenda, our brave forces have restored stability after the shooting,” the source said.

No armed group has claimed responsibility for the killings in the region, which has become notorious for deadly clashes.

Separatist fighters have been operating in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions since 2017, regularly clashing with government forces as they seek to establish an independent state in the regions.

Source: Xinhuanet

9, February 2026

How Cameroon pays the price for disrespecting contracts ⁰

Contracts are not threats to sovereignty. They are instruments of credibility.

A state that cannot keep its word cannot build an economy. A government that treats contracts as politics invites bankruptcy.

International tribunals ask only one question:

Did the State respect its obligations?

And increasingly, Cameroon is forced to answer:

Nkongho Felix Agbor (“Agbor Balla”)

Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate

In Cameroon, public authorities often behave as though contracts are optional documents — instruments that can be suspended, modified, or terminated at will, depending on political convenience or changes in leadership. At home, such decisions may appear cost-free. Officials feel untouchable, shielded by weak institutions, political influence, and a culture of impunity.

But beyond Cameroon’s borders lies a different reality: a global legal system where contracts are enforceable, states are accountable, and breaches are punished not by speeches, but by billions in damages.

Every time Cameroon fails to respect a contract or abrogates one without due process, it exposes itself to international arbitration, costly litigation, massive compensation awards, reputational damage, and long-term economic loss.

And the bill is paid not by ministers — but by citizens.

The International System Cameroon Cannot Escape

Most major state contracts especially in infrastructure, mining, energy, telecommunications, aviation, and public-private partnerships — include international dispute resolution clauses.

These typically refer disputes to institutions such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA).

Once Cameroon signs such contracts, it waives part of its sovereignty. It accepts that foreign tribunals — not Cameroonian authorities — will judge disputes.

There is no political protection at these forums.

No presidential decree.

No “high instructions”.

Only law. Evidence. And consequences.

Practical Cameroonian Examples: When the State Pays

1. The Antonio Conceição Case: Over 1 Billion FCFA

Perhaps the clearest recent example is the dismissal of football coach Antonio Conceição.

After leading the Indomitable Lions to third place at AFCON 2021, Conceição was dismissed without following contractual procedures. FIFA and later the Swiss Federal Tribunal ruled in his favour.

Cameroon was ordered to pay over 1.6 million euros — more than 1 billion FCFA.

The State eventually had to pay to avoid international sanctions.

This was not a football issue.

It was a contract law failure paid from public funds.

2. The Olembe Stadium and Magil: Over 15 Billion FCFA Frozen

The construction of the Olembe Sports Complex in Yaoundé has become a textbook case of how infrastructure contracts turn into financial disasters.

Following disputes with the contractor, Magil Construction, the matter went to international arbitration in Paris.

Cameroon was ordered to deposit more than 15 billion FCFA into an escrow account.

That is 15 billion francs blocked — not for hospitals, not for schools, not for roads but locked in a legal dispute.

3. The SGS Dispute – A Current Risk

Cameroon is currently facing a serious contractual crisis involving SGS, the Swiss multinational responsible for inspection and verification services linked to customs and trade.

SGS operates at the heart of Cameroon’s revenue system.

Recent administrative attempts to suspend or alter this contract without transparent legal process risk triggering international arbitration.

If this happens, Cameroon faces:

• Compensation claims

• Lost profit damages

• Years of interest

• Millions in legal fees

• Possible seizure of state assets abroad

To his credit, the Prime Minister has intervened to seek an institutional solution. This is welcome.

But the SGS episode illustrates a deeper problem:

in Cameroon, contracts are often treated politically first — and legally later.

At international level, SGS is not dealing with a ministry.

It is dealing with the Republic of Cameroon.

And the Republic cannot hide behind circulars.

The Dangerous Illusion of Domestic Power

Cameroonian officials often behave as if:

“What happens in Yaoundé stays in Yaoundé.”

This is false.

A contract signed in Yaoundé is enforceable in Paris, London, Washington, and The Hague.

A minister/Director may feel powerful locally.

But internationally, Cameroon is just another debtor.

Law Is Cheaper Than Arbitration

Good governance is cheaper than litigation.

Dialogue is cheaper than damages.

Due process is cheaper than seizure.

The paradox is brutal:

Cameroon spends more money fighting contracts than honouring them.

Conclusion: Sovereignty Without Law Is Poverty

Contracts are not threats to sovereignty.

They are instruments of credibility.

A state that cannot keep its word cannot build an economy.

A government that treats contracts as politics invites bankruptcy.

International tribunals ask only one question:

Did the State respect its obligations?

And increasingly, Cameroon is forced to answer:

No.

Written and edited by Barrister Agbor Balla

9, February 2026

Yaoundé: Security strains, political tensions cloud potential papal visit ⁰

Cameroon’s possible inclusion in the itinerary of Pope Leo XIV’s first African trip is drawing growing debate, as security concerns, political tensions and moral objections raise questions about whether the country is ready for a papal visit. While Cameroon has been rumored as a potential stop, no visit has been confirmed, even as Leo has accepted invitations to Equatorial Guinea and Angola, with Algeria being a desired stop as well.

Cameroon’s leading political scientist and expert on security, Kinang Derick, suggested that the nation is simply not yet prepared to host the pontiff safely. In a conversation with OSV News, the scholar said that the immense strain on Cameroon’s security infrastructure, following the contested Oct. 12, 2025, presidential election, could be a major stumbling block.

“Cameroon is just coming out from an electoral year in which a lot of resources have been used to ensure the security of the electoral process,” Derick told OSV News.

“The government might have not recovered sufficiently enough to still have what it takes to put the necessary resources to ensure the pope’s security,” he explained.

Leo’s first trip to Africa as pontiff has had some locations confirmed, with the of Equatorial Guinea being the latest confirmed stop. A series of recent announcements by bishops in Angola and Algeria have indicated that Leo will embark on trips to their respective countries this year.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers told journalists outside the Paul VI audience hall Jan. 8 that he discussed the possibility of a trip with the pope during the extraordinary consistory and that the visit was “on track.”

On Jan. 13, Angola was announced as another destination that Leo intends to visit this year. At a press conference in Luanda, Polish Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, apostolic nuncio to Angola, announced that the pope had accepted the invitation from Church and government officials to visit.

While Cameroon was for weeks rumoured as a possible destination, Derick told OSV News the nation’s security forces, both materially and in terms of manpower, are exhausted, compounded by ongoing instability in the two English-speaking regions, as well as Boko Haram incursions in the country’s far-northern region.

Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions have been gripped by separatist violence since 2017, when the government took a hard line following strikes by Anglophone teachers and lawyers.

The expert noted that the severe insecurity in these regions makes a papal trip “logistically and practically impossible at this time.”

He also touched on general infrastructural decay, citing poor road networks and inadequate health facilities in major cities as issues that must be addressed before Cameroon hosts the pontiff.

“You don’t certainly want the pope to move on bumpy roads, or to land on outdated airstrips,” Derick noted.

While a papal visit would certainly be good for strengthening the faiths of Cameroon’s Catholics, estimated at 38.3% of the country’s 30.1 million inhabitants, the government also views such a visit as a critical piece of diplomatic victory — one that would boost Cameroon’s battered image abroad.

The country has been the object of increasing international criticism as a result of gross human rights violations. According to Amnesty International, people critical of the regime face persecution and are threatened with restrictions on their right to freedom of movement. Journalists are intimidated by security forces.

The country’s image was further dented by the Oct. 12, 2025, presidential election. President Paul Biya, in power for 43 years, was declared the winner, extending his rule by another seven years. The main opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma, rejected the results and has since continued to claim that he is the duly elected president.

Furthermore, a prominent Cameroonian Jesuit priest and scholar has publicly urged the pontiff not to visit the West African country, warning that such a visit could be an endorsement of a regime whose legitimacy has been shattered by a recent “grave political and moral crisis.”

In an open letter addressed to the Holy Father, Fr. Ludovic Lado recalled that the latest election was “marred by massive fraud” to ensure the continued rule of 92-year-old Biya. The contested results, he argued, have triggered a painful post-electoral crisis marked by violence, deaths and severe repression.

“The dozens of victims counted were killed by bullets fired at unarmed civilians by an army that has become a militia under the control of one man,” Lado wrote in his letter to the pontiff, adding that the situation in the country is “tragically demonstrating the lack of regard for the dignity of human life in our country, especially that of the poorest.”

Lado argued that a papal visit would betray the pope’s core preference for helping the poor, and instead provide a platform for “an aging elite” — living in “comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people” — clinging to power.

He feared the trip would be instrumentalized by “illegitimate government seeking respectability.”

In a dramatic appeal, the Jesuit priest said, “the hands of the members of Paul Biya’s regime that You will be shaking during Your visit to Cameroon, like those of Herod and Pilate, are stained with the blood of poor Cameroonians, victims of political repression.”

He also highlighted the unresolved Anglophone crisis that killed at least 6,500 people over the last decade.

Instead of a pastoral visit, Lado suggested the Holy See could play a crucial role as a mediator for peace, proposing Vatican support for an initiative led by the Italian Community of Sant’Egidio to help the nation find a path out of its “historical impasse.”

A papal visit should only take place when Cameroon regains “a climate of justice, peace and reconciliation, with legitimate authorities,” he concluded.

Political analyst Derick, however, disagreed that the papal visit could be seen as an endorsement of the political power in the country, and he framed the pope’s potential mission as one of pastoral care and pacification.

“It will not be an endorsement of the present regime. It will be more of a visit to a suffering people, a visit to a category of faithful within the Roman Catholic Church that are in need of their spiritual father to come and tap them on the back and to make them understand all is well, that God has not forgotten Cameroonians,” he told OSV News.

He drew parallels to other international journeys carried out by late Pope Francis, when he visited crisis zones like Congo and the Central African Republic, noting that the pontiff historically travels to places of turmoil to bring hope and advocate for peace, not to validate political leadership.

If the Cameroon leg of the tour is finalized, Leo would become the third pontiff to visit the central African nation, following Pope St. John Paul II in August 1985 and Pope Benedict XVI in March 2009 — all under the same Cameroonian ruler.

Culled from National Catholic Reporter