Pope Leo has wrapped up a high-profile tour of Africa with a striking visit to a prison in Equatorial Guinea, where inmates greeted him with chants of “Freedom” as he left the facility in the coastal city of Bata.

During his Africa tour in April, Leo will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, a small Central African nation with a population of just 2 million, the majority of whom are Christian.

Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a senior official in Equatorial Guinea, has been dismissed following the viral circulation of hundreds of explicit videos showing him with various women, including the wives of prominent officials.

By Samir Muradov

In recent months, Equatorial Guinea has attracted international attention due to the expanding presence of Russian military personnel. Russian military instructors arrived in the country in mid-August, and their activities are raising eyebrows across Africa and beyond.