Pope Leo XIV calls for "forgiveness" during historic visit to Algeria
via SeneNews3 min read
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria for a historic two-day visit, the first by a pope to the Muslim-majority country, calling for "forgiveness" upon his arrival. The visit comes amid international tensions and criticism from US President Donald Trump, who called the Pope "WEAK" and "catastrophic in foreign policy" on Truth Social. The Pope, on his flight from Rome to Algiers, stated he had no intention of debating Trump and was not afraid of his administration. Italian and American bishops have supported the Pope, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wished him a fruitful trip. On his first day, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to victims of the Algerian War of Independence against France 1954-62 at the Martyrs' Monument in Algiers, laying a wreath of white roses. He emphasized that "peace that allows us to look to the future with a reconciled spirit is only possible through forgiveness," urging against adding "resentment to resentment, from generation to generation." The Pope was welcomed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and delivered a speech to authorities and the diplomatic corps. He is scheduled to visit the Great Mosque and the Notre-Dame d'Afrique Basilica. The visit includes an interreligious celebration where he will call for fraternity in a country where Sunni Islam is the state religion and Catholics are a small minority. This trip marks the beginning of the 70-year-old Pope's first major international tour, which will also take him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial G
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Must ReadCulture Minister Amadou Ba commented on social media regarding the opposition's criticisms of the current government. He stated that for the first time in Senegal's history, the opposition is discussing a political crisis rather than issues such as corruption, overbilling, land spoliation, the sale of natural resources, power outages, high cost of living, or governance. The minister concluded his message with an ironic remark: "What a trial machallah!!" This statement comes amidst ongoing debates about the country's political and institutional situation, particularly following discussions surrounding the second reading of a bill to amend certain provisions of the Electoral Code.
Must ReadThe Takku Wallu Sénégal parliamentary group issued a statement denouncing what it views as a rushed procedure surrounding the second reading of the bill amending Article L29 and repealing Article L30 of the Electoral Code. The group stated that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye requested a second reading of the text, a suggestion previously made by Takku Wallu Sénégal. According to the statement, the President of the National Assembly of Senegal subsequently convened the Assembly's bureau, the conference of presidents, the Law Commission, and scheduled a plenary session for the following day. The parliamentary group considers this approach a "cavalier maneuver" and criticizes the procedure as contrary to the National Assembly's internal regulations, specifically citing a failure to respect the usual deadlines for examining the text. The statement also noted that despite observations made by some deputies, the President of the National Assembly maintained the adopted schedule. Takku Wallu Sénégal declared its refusal to be associated with what it terms an "abuse of power" and urged deputies to preserve the role and independence of the parliamentary institution. The parliamentary group concluded by stating that an institutional crisis is developing around this procedure and called for an end to political tensions related to this matter, in the "exclusive interest of the Senegalese people."
Must ReadNiger's military regime, which is hostile to Western countries, particularly France, announced on Friday the suspension of ten French media outlets. According to a statement read on national television, these outlets could "seriously jeopardize public order." The National Communication Observatory ONC stated that the suspended media, including France 24, RFI Radio France Internationale, France Afrique Media, LSI Africa, AFP Agence France-Presse, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Jeune Afrique, and Mediapart, are being suspended for "recurrent dissemination of content likely to seriously jeopardize public order, national unity, social cohesion, and the stability of the Republic's institutions." The ONC added that the execution of this decision is "immediate" and applies to "satellite packages, cable networks, digital platforms, websites, and mobile applications." Several Western media outlets have been suspended since a junta came to power in Niger in July 2023 following a coup d'état. RFI and France 24 were suspended days after the coup, and the British radio station BBC was suspended in December 2024. This decision by Niger comes days before a significant summit in Kenya between France and African countries. On Tuesday, Burkina Faso, an ally of Niger and neighboring Mali within the Alliance of Sahel States AES confederation, also banned the broadcast of TV5 Monde, having previously suspended several other Western media outlets.
Must ReadThe Malian government has announced its refusal to engage in dialogue with "armed terrorist groups," nearly two weeks after unprecedented attacks by jihadists and Tuareg rebels against the junta, and as the capital, Bamako, faces a new economic blockade. Mali is experiencing uncertainty following a coordinated offensive on April 25 and 26 by jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims JNIM, allied with Al-Qaeda, and the rebellion of the Azawad Liberation Front FLA, which is predominantly Tuareg. Since late April, jihadists have imposed a road blockade on Bamako, blocking several essential routes leading to the capital, which, like the rest of the landlocked country, relies on road imports. Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stated that the Malian government does not consider dialogue with "lawless armed terrorist groups responsible for the tragic events our populations have experienced for years." He added that the FLA has "freely chosen to side with an extremist group recognized as terrorist by the United Nations," referring to the rebellion's coordination with the JNIM. Several towns and localities in the North are now under the control of jihadists and their FLA allies. Defense Minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta, was killed in a suicide attack in Kati, a regime stronghold near the capital. He was replaced by junta leader Assimi Goïta, who now holds both presidential and ministerial roles. The blockade imposed by jihadists since April 30 continu