By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Sarah Mullally, is in Cameroon on a historic pastoral visit, using her first engagement in Buea to call for peace, stronger communities and greater access to education and healthcare.
Archbishop Mullally was received in Buea, the chief town of the South West, on August 1 by Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai, the Mayor of Buea, David Mafani Namange and other officials. Her visit marks the first time an Archbishop of Canterbury has visited Cameroon.
Archbishop Mullally became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and senior bishop of the Church of England after her confirmation on January 28, 2026. She is the first woman to occupy the approximately 1,400-year-old office and serves as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cameroon and Dean of the Internal Province of West Africa, the Rt. Revd Dibo Thomas-Babyngton Elango said the Archbishop’s visit was primarily intended to meet with communities, encourage them, and offer hope amid the challenges facing the country.
He said the choice of the Biaka Foundation as one of the stops was significant because of its work in education, healthcare and community development.
“She has come to just add and to give us hope to know that whatever is going on, it will end one day,” Bishop Elango said, stressing that the Anglican Church stands with communities in Cameroon.
Following a brief stop at the Governor’s Office, the delegation proceeded to the Biaka School, where she received a warm welcome from staff, students, church leaders and members of the community.
At the Biaka School, Archbishop Mullally praised the foundation for its efforts to expand access to education and healthcare, describing both sectors as essential to transforming individual lives and strengthening communities. “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind of the importance of giving accessible education and healthcare to everyone,” she said.
The Archbishop, who previously worked as a nurse, said education gives people the opportunity to find their voice and participate fully in society, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged. “Education transforms lives,” she said, while emphasising that healthcare equally gives people dignity and enables them to live life to its fullest.
According to Archbishop Mullally, such interventions can contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality while helping communities prevent conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The Archbishop, however, said development could not be separated from peace. “It is hard to find economic stability, it is hard to find good education and good healthcare if there is not peace,” she said.
Speaking from her Christian faith, she described Jesus Christ as the “Prince of Peace” and stressed that peace must be deliberately pursued. For Archbishop Mullally, peace begins with individuals, their relationship with God and their relationships with neighbours.
She called on communities to celebrate diversity and work towards peaceful coexistence, while urging leaders to take responsibility for bringing people together. “People in leadership roles have to curate peace and help people to come together,” she said.
The Archbishop said her wider African visit, which includes Ghana and Cameroon, is also intended to reassure Anglicans across the continent that they are seen, valued and supported.
The visit comes at a significant time for Cameroon, particularly as communities in the conflict-affected North West and South West Regions continue to face challenges linked to insecurity, displacement and access to basic social services.
Following her engagements in the South West Region, Archbishop Mullally continued her pastoral visit to other parts of Cameroon, with Douala and Yaoundé included in her itinerary.
Her historic visit is expected to further deepen ties among the Church of England, the Anglican Church in Cameroon, and communities working to promote education, healthcare, peace, and human dignity.
