By Paschal Norbert
VATICAN CITY / KHARTOUM / DAR ES SALAAM, NOVEMBER 4, 2025 (CISA) —Pope Leo XIV has condemned the Rapid Support Forces’ atrocities in Sudan’s El Fasher, including the massacre of more than 460 civilians at a maternity hospital and the killing of hundreds of women amid executions and widespread sexual violence.
The Holy Father also appealed for calm in Tanzania, where post-election violence under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has reportedly left hundreds dead. In statements made on X on November 2, the Supreme Pontiff warned that both crises are spiraling dangerously and called on the international community to act with urgency and resolve.
The Pope’s appeal came as grim reports from Sudan described a city turned into a graveyard, with aid agencies and media documenting mass graves, bodies left in streets, and entire neighborhoods emptied as civilians fled indiscriminate attacks. The massacre at the maternity hospital in El Fasher, a horrifying scene in which patients, mothers, newborns, and medical staff were reportedly executed, has shocked humanitarian workers and revived painful memories of the genocide that ravaged Darfur two decades ago.
The conflict, largely ignored by the world as global attention shifts elsewhere, has displaced millions and left desperate civilians trapped without food, medicine, or safe passage. Analysts and human rights monitors warn that Sudan’s civil war is now one of the deadliest on the planet, yet remains one of the least addressed by global powers.
In his plea on X, Pope Leo XIV said: “With great sorrow I am following the tragic news coming from Sudan. Indiscriminate violence against women and children, attacks on unarmed civilians, and serious obstacles to humanitarian aid are causing unbearable suffering. May we Pray Together that the Lord may receive the deceased with his embrace, strengthen those who are suffering, and move the hearts of those responsible. I renew my heartfelt appeal to all parties involved to agree to a ceasefire and to urgently open humanitarian corridors. Finally, I call on the international community to act with determination and generosity.”
The conflict in Sudan has deepened as the Rapid Support Forces advance across Darfur, reportedly targeting ethnic African communities in what observers warn may constitute ethnic cleansing. UN agencies describe entire towns razed, women used as weapons of war, and children forcibly conscripted. Religious leaders, rights groups, and regional observers say silence from world powers risks enabling another full-scale genocide in Darfur.
Turning to East Africa, Pope Leo also condemned the deadly unrest in Tanzania following elections widely dismissed as fraudulent. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner in a vote criticized by regional observers, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who reported voter intimidation, suppression of opposition supporters, and systemic manipulation of results. The president’s private inauguration, held at a military controlled venue with only government officials invited and amid mounting protests, prompted accusations of democratic backsliding and authoritarian consolidation.
Post-election demonstrations have been met with force, witnesses say, with security forces accused of opening fire on crowds, carrying out mass arrests, and clamping down on civil liberties. Human rights monitors report hundreds killed and thousands injured or detained, while opposition figures remain under threat or in hiding. Analysts warn that Tanzania, long seen as an anchor of stability in East Africa, now risks sliding into prolonged political crisis if dialogue fails.
Addressing the violence in Tanzania, the Pope posted: “May we also PrayTogether for Tanzania, where, following the recent elections, violent clashes have broken out, leaving many victims. I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and to follow the path of dialogue.”
The pontiff’s dual appeals underscore growing alarm at two escalating crises that have received limited international response. Vatican analysts say Pope Leo is increasingly positioning moral authority against rising political repression and ethnic violence across Africa, warning that silence in the face of such atrocities carries grave moral consequence. As Sudan staggers under a shadow of genocide and Tanzania confronts the erosion of democratic norms, the Holy Father’s voice adds pressure on global leaders to intervene before both tragedies deepen further.
