The pontiff was speaking on the first full day of his visit to Mozambique, where a recent peace accord formally ended years of civil war.

"Peace must be the norm and reconciliation the best way to face the country's difficulties," the Pope said.

He said peace was like "a delicate flower" and it struggled to blossom on "the stony ground of violence".

For lasting peace, the Pope said the country’s leaders needed to discourage any form of fanaticism and strive to give equal opportunities to all - to do otherwise would risk instability.

"Without equal opportunities, the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode," he said.

Later, when the pontiff met interfaith youth groups in the capital, Maputo, he told them:

"Many of you were born at a time of peace, a hard-won peace that was not always easy to achieve and took time to build.

"Peace is a process that you too are called to advance, by being ever ready to reach out to those experiencing hardship."