Algeria: Pope’s historic visit disturbed by terror attack
Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Algeria, the first visit of a pope to the North African state, was disturbed by reports of a terror attack in the city of Blida, 45km south from the capital, reports Jeune Afrique on 13th April.
The attack, by two suicide bombers, happened around lunchtime outside a police station. No other casualties have been confirmed apart from the two assailants. Other bomb alerts were reported in the city and quickly dealt with by the local police, with a special response unit surrounding the area.
At the same time, the Pope was visiting Algiers’ Grand Mosque, the largest in Africa, accompanied by the Archbishop of Algiers and the mosque’s rector. He was also received by President Abdelmajid Tebboune at the Presidential Palace, and gave a series of speeches during which he called for peace and unity. In a symbolic scene, he stood in front of Algiers’ Martyrs Memorial for the victims of the Algerian war of Independence, and spoke about the importance of forgiveness, in a context of wide ranging conflicts.
Pope Leo XIV is currently on an African tour which will take him to four countries, Algeria being his first stop. This is his second major foreign trip since his inauguration in 2025, and he will visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea next.
After visiting Algiers, he travelled to the eastern city of Annaba, hometown of the Pope’s spiritual master St Augustine of Hippo who lived there during the Roman Empire period. The Pope was expected to visit the archaeological site of Hippo, and then hold mass at the St Augustine Basilica.
The Pope received a warm welcome in Algeria, but he has been heavily criticized by Donald Trump after speaking out against the war on Iran. The pontiff responded to these attacks, stating he would continue to promote peace and dialogue.
Jeune Afrique, Le Matin d’Algerie, Atalayar, Maghrebi.org
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