CAR: Religious leaders and civil society work to rebuild peace

IRIN, the United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian Affairs has commended the unique initiatives being spearheaded by religious leaders in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Reporting from Bangui in CAR, IRIN says that civil society and religious organisations in that country are working to rebuild trust and harmony in a country fraught with ethnic and religious animosity since the overthrow of President François Bozizé in March 2013.

The real impact of a national reconciliation plan by CAR’s interim government of President Catherine Samba Panza is yet to be seen and violence still continues across CAR. The recently extended reconciliation phase in CAR will officially conclude in August 2015, when hopefully, elections can be held.

The transition phase in CAR sets mediation and dialogue as objectives for community and political leaders, as well as the formation of a reconciliation commission. A national reconciliation minister has been named; a daily radio show on reconciliation has been running for a few months now and billboards with messages of harmony are visible on the streets of the capital, Bangui. These initiatives have mobilised religious leaders and civil society organisations to work for peace.

Former anti-Balaka militia organizer Sébastien Wenezoui and Ousmane Abakar, the country’s Muslim community spokesman, recently formed a political party. “The time has come to put Central Africans, ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka on the road to peace and to rebuild CAR,” said Wenezoui.

At the start of the year, the Catholic Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, led an inter-faith forum comprising the head of the country’s Islamic community Imam Omar Kobine Layama and Evangelical Alliance leader Nicolas Grekoyame Gbangou. The inter-faith forum has been organising regular prayer meetings and other gatherings to discuss peace and reconciliation.

In June last year, the forum launched an “inter-religious campaign for social cohesion” which is still ongoing. The campaign is designed to narrow divisions in the country. The Inter-faith forum also held a week of prayer and cultural dialogue after two months of sensitisation on social cohesion. Over 400 religious leaders have been trained to encourage reconciliation.

“Our role as leaders is also to show the way forward - to say the way is not barbarism and killings, but fraternity, forgiveness, unity and reconciliation,” said Archbishop Nzapalainga, who in 2013 sheltered Imam Layama for months after he was forced to flee his home.

Nonetheless, violence has continued in many parts of the country.

Recently, Archbishop Nzapalainga and a group of Christians visited a camp where thousands of ex-Seleka rebels are being held. The former Seleka rebels had a few days earlier protested against their living conditions and demanded improvements from the government.

“The church is organising activities where Muslims and Christians work together for social cohesion,” the Archbishop said. With his encouragement, displaced Muslims have been given shelter at various parishes across the country.

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