Calls for inquiry into UN peacekeepers’ role in massacres in Central African Republic

As many as 100 civilians lost their lives in an attack on a refugee camp and cathedral in Alindao last month, said Amnesty International. (Photo: Catholic Church in CAR)
United Nations peacekeepers failed in protecting civilians in the Central African Republic during an attack in November that killed as many as 100 people, among them two priests, according to a report by Amnesty International that was published 14 December. Multiple eyewitnesses told Amnesty that UN peacekeepers did not stop . . . Read More

CAR: Children hurt as another displaced persons camp attacked

As many as 100 civilians lost their lives in an attack on a refugee camp and cathedral in Alindao last month, said Amnesty International. (Photo: Catholic Church in CAR)
A church-run camp for displaced people in south-eastern Central African Republic was attacked on Tuesday, 4 December, less than three weeks after 60 people, including two priests, were killed in an attack on another camp. Tuesday’s attack took place in the town of Ippy, which is 200km north of the . . . Read More

CAR: Two priests among dozens massacred as Islamic militants raid church compound

CAR: Two priests among dozens massacred as Islamic militants raid church compound
In Central African Republic, violence reached another peak last Thursday as dozens were killed in the small town of Alindao, in the south-east of the country. On 15 November, armed men believed to be members of a Séléka off-shoot known by its French acronym UPC (Unité pour la Paix en . . . Read More

Central African Republic: Dozens feared dead after massacre in Bria

Central African Republic: Dozens feared dead after massacre in Bria
In Central African Republic, dozens of people are feared killed after suspected Islamist rebels attacked a group of civilians in the central town of Bria earlier this month. Early reports suggested that between 12 to 14 people were killed during the attack on 4-5 September, but local sources contacted by . . . Read More

As Sudan hosts CAR peace talks, Russia offers to get more involved

As Sudan hosts CAR peace talks, Russia offers to get more involved
The three top faith leaders of the Central African Republic (CAR), who have won international recognition for efforts to end its conflict, have pledged to work with Russians to foster reconciliation in CAR. On 23 August, they attended a one-day meeting organised by Valery Zakharov, a Russian diplomat and security . . . Read More

Central African Republic in mourning again as another priest killed

Central African Republic in mourning again as another priest killed
The Catholic Church in the Central African Republic is again in shock after the killing of the vicar general of Bambari, in the centre of the country, on Friday night. Father Firmin Gbagoua, 52, was fatally wounded, when unidentified gunmen stormed the presbytery of St. Joseph’s Cathedral of Bambari at . . . Read More

What churches can do to help victims of sexual violence in conflict to stay ‘part of us’

Women affected by violence in the Central African Republic, have formed self-help groups in the capital Bangui and run a small shop where they sell their products. (Photo: Open Doors International)
Adrienne* survived a brutal sexual attack during a conflict with ex-Seleka militants in Central African Republic (CAR), only to be ostracised from her own community. Adrienne was alone in her greatest time of need, and the baby born to her nine months later bears the same vulnerabilities, and a label: a . . . Read More

CAR’s clerics warn against attempts to divide Christians and Muslims

CAR’s clerics warn against attempts to divide Christians and Muslims
The three top faith leaders of the Central African Republic (CAR), who have won international recognition for their efforts to end conflict in the country, have blamed foreign mercenaries for a recent upsurge in violence. One month ago today, the relative calm enjoyed by the capital, Bangui, was shattered when . . . Read More

CAR cardinal calls for end to retaliatory violence after shoot-out at Mass

CAR cardinal calls for end to retaliatory violence after shoot-out at Mass
Emotions were high at Notre Dame de Fatima church in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic on Sunday (13 May), as bereaved and traumatised worshippers prepared for a pastoral visit from their cardinal. Two weeks ago the parish became the scene of a massacre, when armed men from the . . . Read More

Church massacre shatters Central African capital’s tranquility

Church massacre shatters Central African capital’s tranquility
At least 24 people are feared killed and more than a hundred injured following a fresh outbreak of violence in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on Tuesday, 1 May. Until recent weeks, the capital had been considered a safe haven in the war-torn country – the only . . . Read More