The pope, the first from the United States, is scheduled to visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, traveling nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) across 11 cities and towns on 18 flights in one of the most complex papal itineraries in decades.

Cardinal Michael Czerny said the trip was intended “to help turn the world’s attention to Africa,” underscoring the Vatican’s focus on a region where Catholic populations are expanding rapidly.

Leo, 70, has made limited overseas visits since his election last May, including trips to Turkiye and Lebanon late last year, and Monaco in March. The current tour marks his most extensive diplomatic and pastoral journey to date.

The visit will include a stop in Algeria, an overwhelmingly Muslim country with fewer than 10,000 Catholics among a population of around 48 million, marking the first time a sitting pope has visited the country.

Leo is expected to address political leaders there and visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, only his second visit to a mosque as pope.Across the four countries, Leo is scheduled to deliver 25 speeches addressing a range of issues including resource exploitation, interfaith dialogue and political governance, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have long-serving leaders who have faced allegations of human rights abuses, which they deny.The largest gathering of the tour is expected in Cameroon’s coastal city of Douala, where Vatican officials estimate around 600,000 people could attend a papal Mass on Friday.

The trip is the 24th papal visit to Africa since the late 1960s and reflects the continent’s growing significance within the global Catholic Church, with more than 20 percent of adherents now based there.

Vatican officials said the trip is intended to engage with the Islamic world and address broader challenges of coexistence amid global tensions.The Algeria leg will be the first stop in a wider travel that includes Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering approximately 18,000 kilometers between April 13 and 23.

During his visit to Algiers, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and address government officials and diplomats. He will also visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet members of the Catholic community, while holding private prayers for clergy killed during Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s.

A key moment of the trip will come in Annaba, historically associated with Saint Augustine, whose legacy has influenced the pope’s spiritual outlook. Leo, formerly Robert Francis Prevost and a member of the Augustinian order, has often described himself as a “son” of Augustine.

The visit comes as rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights and MENA Rights Group, have urged the Vatican to address concerns over restrictions on religious minorities in Algeria.

Algerian officials and local media have highlighted the symbolic significance of the visit, describing it as a reflection of the country’s stability and its role in fostering dialogue on the global stage.

The trip unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the Vatican emphasizing a message centered on interfaith understanding and peaceful coexistence.

The 10-day visit will take Leo nearly 18,000 km across 11 cities in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, involving 18 flights in what Vatican officials described as a demanding itinerary.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official, said the trip was intended “to help turn the world’s attention to Africa,” emphasizing the pope’s priority to ensure the continent is not overlooked amid global crises.

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope and successor to Pope Francis, has made limited foreign visits since his election last May, including trips to Turkey and Lebanon late last year, and Monaco in March.

Africa accounts for more than 20% of the world’s Catholics, according to Vatican data, and is the fastest-growing region for the Church. In several of the countries on Leo’s itinerary, Catholics make up a majority of the population, while Algeria remains predominantly Muslim with a small Catholic minority.

During the visit, Leo is expected to promote interfaith dialogue, including a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, and travel to Annaba to see the ancient ruins of Hippo, associated with St. Augustine of Hippo, a central figure for the Augustinian order to which the pope belongs.

In Cameroon, Leo is scheduled to hold a peace meeting in Bamenda, a region affected by conflict between government forces and separatist groups since 2017.

The pope will also visit Bata, where he is expected to pray at the site of a 2021 explosion at a military barracks that killed more than 100 people.

Church officials and analysts say the tour reflects the Vatican’s strategic and pastoral focus on Africa, highlighting both the continent’s challenges and its role as a center of growth and vitality within global Catholicism.

In Cameroon, KSrelief delivered a noteworthy gesture of goodwill by providing 25 tons of dates. This act aims to reinforce the friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and Cameroon while offering a nutritious food source to the local population. Dates hold cultural significance and are widely appreciated in the region, making this contribution a meaningful gesture that strengthens the bonds between the two nations.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, KSrelief responded to the distress caused by flooding by distributing over 45 tons of food parcels. These aid packages were specifically designed to support 3325 individuals residing in areas severely affected by the natural disaster. The distribution of essential food items seeks to alleviate the suffering of those impacted by the floods and provide them with much-needed sustenance during challenging times.

These humanitarian projects form a part of the ongoing efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through KSrelief. The center is renowned for its commitment to extending support and aid to countries facing various crises, be it natural disasters, conflicts, or other challenges. By actively engaging in relief initiatives, KSrelief exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s dedication to lending a helping hand to those in need, both domestically and internationally.

Fighters with Boko Haram killed three customs officers, three soldiers and two civilians in separate attacks in the towns of Mora and Zigage on the border with Nigeria, said Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the region.

“The Boko Haram fighters are in huge numbers along the border with Nigeria and we are counting on collaboration between the military and civilians to stop this new wave of attacks,” he said. Several people were wounded and have been hospitalized, Bakari said.

Boko Haram is a homegrown extremist group in Nigeria that launched an insurgency in 2009 to fight against Western education and to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country’s northeast. Their rebellion has spread over the years to neighboring West African countries, including Cameroon, Niger and Chad. The insurgency has killed more than 36,000 people mainly in Nigeria, and displaced around 3 million, according to the United Nations.

Cameroon’s government said that Boko Haram fighters crossed into the country from Nigeria in large numbers on Monday evening before carrying out the attacks. Cameroon’s military has been deployed to protect civilians on the border.