Humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic

(Vatican Radio) The humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic continues to degenerate rapidly, with the latest upsurge of violence reported to be the worst since Seleka rebels took control of the country in March.

Father Aurelio Gazzera is a Carmelite missionary and Caritas director based in Bouar, in the west of the Central African Republic. He reported this week that thousands of homes have been burnt down in the last month, while up to 80% of the population has fled from the worst affected areas, and several dozen people have been killed.

Giulia Cirillo spoke to Father Anastasio Roggero, who is a close friend of Father Aurelio, and himself lived and worked in the Central African Republic for several decades.


Listen to the full interview:


“I have news, Father Aurelio wrote this. On Monday, a mother came over asking for some help for her son. Her son had a home-made rifle, and he decided to give it up to the local chief, but he got arrested. Rebels kept him for 11 days, tied up and tortured him – he lost one eye, and his arms and legs are paralysed. In order to get him out of there and bring him to the hospital, Father Aurelio decided to go and see the Seleka. He asked when will they finally stop torturing – he was told to go to the house across the street, where the Seleka colonel lives. While he was waiting, more Seleka arrived, they told him they were going to kill him. The colonel arrived, they sat down and talked. [Father Aurelio] asked for at least one prisoner to be released, but they said no. Another chief came, he barged in, shouting that he was going to kill [Father Aurelio], that [Father Aurelio] had no right to be there pleading for the prisoners. He held a gun, slapped him, so Father Aurelio left.

The Church, with all its members, tries to make a contribution to the crisis, to the afflicted population. I think the Christians are contributing to help, but we hope that even the international organisations will do something. But they promise, but at the moment I don’t think they’ve done anything.

Problems are never seriously tackled. [People in the Central African Republic] need education, education, education. In all the Central African Republic, no schools exist. In a few years, I think there will recur yet another coup. We are so used to this, in Central African Republic. I remember the years ’80, ’85, ’90, ’96… the coups, they are like the seasons.

Urgent, in the short term, is to provide assistance to displaced [people] and victims. We need medicine, food, housing, and also legal and psychological support. And in the medium term, we need to think about how to restore the school system – now, this year, there are no schools in the country – but also how to ensure the sale of agricultural crops, with roads blocked and controlled by the Seleka. No one dares to venture into the countryside to stock up on food. There is a whole work to do to educate youth and adults – especially the authorities – to a sense of common good, respect for others, and the rules of democracy. A horizon challenging, but exciting, says Father Aurelio.”