High schools and colleges in the Mfoundi department, home to the city of Yaounde, will be closed from April 14 to 19, 2026, due to Pope Leo XIV's visit to Cameroon [cite: ]. The announcement was made in an official statement signed by the Mfoundi Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education, Alain Louis Nama Essomba, on April 10, 2026 [cite: ].
The decision to close schools aims to facilitate organization and security during the papal visit and ensure smooth traffic flow in Cameroon's political capital [cite: ]. The statement specifies that all academic and administrative activities, including catch-up courses, are suspended during this period [cite: ].
"I have the honor to inform you that all academic and administrative activity, including catch-up courses, is suspended from April 14 to 19, 2026, in all secondary education establishments in the Mfoundi department," the statement reads [cite: ].
The Divisional Delegate also insists that schools must remain closed for the duration of the suspension of classes, and that no gatherings of students should be organized, either inside or outside the establishments [cite: ].
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Cameroon, scheduled from April 15 to 18, 2026, is part of an African tour that will also take him to Algeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In Cameroon, the Pope is expected to address the themes of peace, coexistence, youth and integral human development. Stops on his visit are planned in Yaounde, Douala and Bamenda. The pontiff's visit is generating great hopes within the Cameroonian Catholic community, which represents about 30 to 35% of the population.
