Africa-Press – Tanzania. Pope Leo XIV has prayed for Tanzania following days of election-related violence in the East African nation.
The global head of the more than one billion Catholics used his Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square to appeal for peace and an end to the unrest.
“Let us also pray for Tanzania, where recent clashes have broken out, leaving many victims. I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and follow the path of dialogue,” Pope Leo said in his homily to thousands of pilgrims.
Several people are feared dead and many injured following the chaos that marred the elections held on October 29, 2025.
The Tanzanian government has yet to provide official statistics on fatalities and injuries, though reports indicate that several people may have died.
At the same time, Vatican News reported that Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace in war-torn Sudan on Sunday, condemning gruesome violence against civilians and calling for the removal of barriers to humanitarian aid.
Sudan is currently facing the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with about 14 million people displaced out of a population of 51 million. Famine is widespread, and outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diseases are on the rise.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which emerged from the genocidal violence in Darfur two decades ago, have been locked in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.
“With great sorrow,” the pontiff said in remarks following the Angelus prayer, “I follow the tragic news coming from Sudan, particularly from the city of El Fasher in devastated North Darfur.”
The RSF recently seized control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, after more than 500 days of siege that forced Sudan’s army to withdraw.
Reports from the UN and other international observers indicate that sick and wounded civilians have been killed inside hospitals and other buildings used as temporary medical centers.
“Indiscriminate violence against women and children, attacks on defenseless civilians, and severe obstacles to humanitarian action are causing unacceptable suffering to a population already exhausted by months of conflict,” Pope Leo XIV said.
“We pray that the Lord will welcome the deceased, support the suffering, and touch the hearts of those responsible,” he added.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to the parties involved for a ceasefire and the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors. Finally, I urge the international community to intervene decisively and generously to support those working tirelessly to provide relief
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