Due to all the police checkpoints, kidnapping incidences, and not having any scheduled activity time, Bamenda is now a very normal environment. The presence of Pope Leo XIV in Bamenda will be an opportunity for both diplomatic reasons and a time for healing the wounds that have been inflicted on this area over many years. The Pope’s travels through Africa provide him with access to Cameroon, where he will make one of four stops and spend some time in Bamenda, which is also the largest city located in the Anglophone Southwest Region of Cameroon; the site also hosts an outdoor mass and will conduct a reconciliation ceremony. The symbolism associated with the Pope’s visit has considerable meaning both for the residents and the clergy who reside within this area, while they have been living through a conflict since 2010.
Despite a growing number of individuals who are waiting for peace, there is still more difficulty ahead, as ongoing tensions and unresolved grievances continue to fuel the conflict in the region. The source of the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon has its roots in history when certain populations were discriminated against in terms of resources and access to government services. The split (or partition) of Cameroon into 2 sections (i.e., British Cameroon and French Cameroon) led to cultural differences and unrest. From October 2016 through January 2017, the protest by the lawyers and teachers met with violent repression. Since then, fighting between the separatist fighters and the Cameroonian military has culminated in an estimated 6,500 deaths and 500,000 people displaced or living in refugee situations, according to reports from Reuters. Additionally, the Catholic Church (in the U.S.) has been impacted by the violence; there have been many kidnappings of priests, many churches have been shot at or burnt down, and clergy members have indicated a significant decline in their safety and the trust they have in authority as a result of the current situation.
As a result, Pope Francis‘ visit has been meaningful due to both its intention and the recent announcement that the separatist alliance would cease hostilities for a period of three days to allow for travel in and out of Bamenda by local residents and tourists during his visit. The ceasefire being called a humanitarian act has led some to call for respect for the ceasefire period by the military factions. Vatican News recently reported this announcement as indicating a rare type of de-escalation; however, it has been in the press that this ceasefire should begin on 15 April 2019 and last until 17 April 2019. Although many residents doubt the ceasefire will end the war, many believe it provides a temporary break from the brutal, abnormal war.
According to the Reuters article analysed by several experts, it is possible that the pope may play an important role in encouraging dialogue among the conflicting parties; however, the participants argue that because of the previous lack of success in mediating the conflicting parties, the pope will not be able to provide any authority or influence to help facilitate a political resolution. All of the previous mediation attempts have resulted in no assistance between the government and the separatist movements of both the Swiss and Canadian governments’ separate entities, respectively; both have not been able to provide any assistance to resolve any prolonged hostilities between the opposing sides. Therefore, many leaders involved in the separatist movements doubt that the pope’s visit will lead to any significant partisan resolution. Despite numerous previous attempts at mediation, many residents in Bamenda have lost their hopes of a peaceful political resolution and have been given hope by a spiritual authority such as the pope visiting the area. Many view the pope’s visit as a means by which he will offer a prayer to God for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. For others, the visit will be seen as evidence of the international community’s continued concern regarding the situation.
