Pope to visit mosque in conflict-ridden Central Africa

Pope Francis is set to visit a mosque in a flashpoint area of the Central African Republic's capital on Monday, as he wraps up his first visit to the continent.

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics will meet members of the Muslim community and visit the Koudoukou mosque in the PK5 district, a maze of red dirt roads and flimsy shacks at the heart of recent sectarian violence.

A little after 08:00 am (0700 GMT) Francis will meet with five imams at the mosque, then hold a ceremony nearby intended to promote religious reconciliation.

Wrapping up his three-country African tour, Francis will then celebrate a huge mass at the capital's 20,000-seat Barthelemy Boganda Stadium before heading back to the Vatican.

The pontiff has hammered home the message of peace during his visit to the Central African Republic, which has been wracked by tit-for-tat violence between Muslim rebels and Christian vigilante groups.

"We are all brothers," the pope said on Sunday as he visited a camp housing some 3,000 internally displaced people in the heart of Bangui.

Francis also called for unity, urging people to avoid "the temptation of fear of others, of the unfamiliar, of what is not part of our ethnic group, our political views or our religious denomination".

His message -- and the fact that he actually visited the country, despite significant security concerns -- struck a chord with locals and drew pledges of peace and forgiveness.

Photo Caption: Pope Francis arrives at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic, on November 29, 2015 (AFP Photo/Gianluigi Guercia)