Bangui — “We, the Bishops of Bangassou, together with the entire Catholic community, are deeply concerned about the violence affecting Haut Mbomou,” emphasize Juan Josè Aguirre, Bishop of Bangassou and Aurelio Gazzera, Coadjutor Bishop of the diocese in the south-east of the Central African Republic, in a pastoral letter read on Sunday, June 8, during the Mass in the parishes of the diocese in the southeast of the Central African Republic.
“We cannot accept that the southeast of our country, the Central African Republic, is the scene of violence of any kind, a land from which people are fleeing, a land of devastation,” the two bishops write. “We mourn the dozens of deaths in recent weeks,” they emphasize in this context. In their letter, Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera recall that “the southeast has been in mourning for decades, a region fought over and exploited first by LRA fighters, then by the Seleka rebels, and finally by the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe; the latter movement, founded to protect the population from the violence of the UPC and other former armed groups, is in danger of becoming a danger to the population itself.” The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) is a guerrilla movement born in Uganda that has been active in this part of Central Africa for several years, while the Seleka movement brings together a number of militias that emerged during the 2012 civil war. The UPC (Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique), on the other hand, is a group that emerged in 2014 from a split of the Seleka movement. These groups have recently been joined by mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner, who officially operate in support of the Armed Forces of Central Africa (FACA), but have been responsible for serious violence against innocent civilians. “In recent weeks, we have mourned deaths: FACA soldiers, but also civilians. Civilians have been shot, wounded, tortured, and executed – with complete impunity,” said Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera. “We think of the thousands of civilians who have been forced to flee Zemio, Mboki, and Djema, including tens of thousands on their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We think of villages that have been bombed, looted, and set on fire.” “All of this must end: The violence will not stop. Quite the opposite! Violence only breeds more violence, division and misery, hatred, mistrust, and ultimately a vicious cycle of revenge,” the bishops warn. “We ask all those involved: Azande Ani Kpi Gbe, FACA, Wagner, and the population, to put an end to the violence and to commit themselves so that this remote and isolated region, without roads or transport links, can live in peace and become a territory where every woman, man, child, and young person can look to life and the future with hope,” Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera wrote in their pastoral letter. “The Catholic Church, which has opened the doors of the missions in Zemio, Mboki, and Obo in recent weeks, is always ready and willing to welcome all people of good will around the table to discuss and work on peace, reconciliation, and development in the region,” the two bishops emphasized. “This is not the time for war, but for dialogue! It is not the time for violence, but the time to listen! It is not the time for suspicion, resentment, accusations, and jealousies, but the time to listen to the poor, to hear their cry for peace! Let us pray and implore peace. But let us also be women and men of peace, in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Peace be with you!” the bishops conclude.
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