Pope Francis on Monday said Christians and Muslims were "brothers", urging them to reject hatred and violence while visiting a mosque in the Central African Republic’s capital which has been ravaged by sectarian conflict.

Pope Francis on Monday said Christians and Muslims were "brothers", urging them to reject hatred and violence while visiting a mosque in the Central African Republic's capital which has been ravaged by sectarian conflict.

On the last leg of a three-nation tour of Africa, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholic visited a flashpoint Muslim neighborhood in Bangui, where tensions remain high after months of violence on what was the most dangerous part of his 24-hour visit.

"Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters," he said after meeting Muslim leaders at the central Koudoukou mosque in the PK5 district, the last Muslim enclave in Bangui.

"Together, we must say no to hatred, to revenge and to violence, particularly that violence which is perpetrated in the name of a religion or of God himself," he said to his mostly-Muslim audience who were sitting on the floor, listening quietly.

Several hundred people packed into the mosque, including a number of people actually living there after being forced out of their homes by the violence.

"We are very proud to welcome him, the pope is not only for the Christians, he is a servant of God for all Central Africans," said Ibrahim Paulin, a spokesman for the displaced.