Pope in Africa says dialogue vital to avert violence in God's name

Portraits of (R-L) Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI are seen placed on the roof of a building near Uganda's capital Kampala November 25, 2015. REUTERS/James Akena

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Thursday in Kenya, a country that has seen a spate of attacks by Islamist militants, that dialogue between religions in Africa was essential to teach young people that violence in God's name was unjustified.

Bridging divisions between Muslims and Christians is a main theme of his first tour of the continent that also takes him to Uganda, which like Kenya has seen a number of Islamist attacks, and the Central African Republic, riven by sectarian conflict.