Pope Leo begins 11,000-mile-long African tour. Where he's going

Pope Leo XIV met with the president of the Republic of Algeria on April 13, in his first stop of a 10-day trip across Africa where he is set to visit four countries on an apostolic journey.

In the first trip of its kind during his papacy, the pope is set to visit 11 cities and towns across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea before returning to Rome on April 23.

The more than 11,000-mile trip includes 18 flights for the American-born pontiff who oversees more than a billion Catholics across the globe.

Pope Leo is travelling Africa as a witness to the peace and hope that the world so ardently desires," the pope told political leaders, Reuters reported, during the first leg of the trip in which he vowed to continue speaking out against the war in Iran.

"The future belongs (to) those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth," Pope Leo said. "Africa knows all too well that people and ​organizations that dominate others destroy the world."

The pope's comments, in which he condemned violations of international law by "neocolonial" world powers in a speech, come on the heels of President Donald Trump criticizing him about his views on the war and immigration.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do," Pope Leo told reporters.

His comments come a day after Trump slammed the Pope on social media as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

"Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense... focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician," Trump wrote April 12.

Where is Pope Leo traveling in Africa?

The pope, on April 14, is set to travel to the northeast Algerian port city of Annaba, according to the Vatican, where he is slated to meet with members of the Augustinian Order, and attend mass in the Basilica of Saint Augustine. Pope Leo is the first Augustinian pope.

From there, he will return to Algeria's capital, Algiers, and then travel to Yaoundé, Cameroon the following day.

Click here for more details about the pope's 10-day African itinerary.

Contributing: Reuters

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.