Zemio and Rafai
24 novembre 2025
I returned to Bangassou on Thursday, 13 November, and the next day I left for the eastern part of the diocese.
The roads here are particularly bad... It takes six hours to travel from Bangassou to Rafai (150 km). And that's the best part!
On Saturday, we leave early, around 5:30 a.m. But the road has deteriorated significantly since I was here at Easter. We get stuck in the mud several times, and it takes us 9 hours to cover the 150 km to Zemio (and 10 hours on the way back!).
As we approach Zemio, we notice many abandoned villages, with one or two families: since May, this has been a war zone between the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe group, the army and Russian mercenaries. And it is the population that pays the price. As always
We arrive in Zemio at 2.30 pm. A quick bite to eat, a shower, and off we go to meet the confirmands: there are 45 boys and girls.
On Sunday 16th, we celebrate Confirmations during a beautiful Mass
Immediately afterwards, we meet with the civil and military authorities of the city. There is still a lot of fear and tension here (and every evening we hear gunshots).
I try to understand the situation. Since May, tens of thousands of people have fled to Congo (just across the river). There are currently about 30,000 refugees.
They are afraid to return to Rafai: afraid of being arrested by Russian mercenaries, who are not too subtle, or of being caught up in an attack.
The most serious situation is in schools: last year there were 992 pupils in the public secondary school, and now there are only 73! And the same goes for other schools!
On Sunday afternoon I take a walk around the neighbourhoods of Zemio: many houses are empty, uninhabited for months. The local radio station has been looted and no longer works.
On Monday, I plan to go and celebrate Mass in Zapay, the refugee camp 5 km from Zemio, in Congo. The day before, we were assured that I could go, but then the permit to enter was lost, amid various excuses. Fear that a bishop might see and speak out, denouncing the fact that tens of thousands of refugees are stranded a few kilometres from their homes. Here too, I fear that economic interests prevail over everything else!
In the afternoon, I go to Koumboli, a village 6 km from Zemio: this is where the fiercest fighting took place in May, and almost all the houses were burned down.
On Tuesday, I manage to meet some delegates of the refugees, who have discreetly crossed the river.
We discuss the situation and try to encourage them to return to the Central African Republic.
In a few weeks, thanks to funding from the Embassy of the Czech Republic, we will provide those who return with rice, sugar, salt, oil, coffee, soap, notebooks and pens.
The population is trapped between the rebels, the army, the Russians and certain authorities...
On Wednesday 19th, we leave Zemio at around 7 a.m. and arrive in Rafai at 5 p.m.
During these days, choirs from many of the parishes in the diocese have gathered here. Some have walked more than 150 km!
There are over 800 choristers. There are moments of encounter, prayer and formation. And many, many songs, sometimes late into the night!
It is the moment of their Jubilee, which we prepare with a long afternoon of confessions and a pilgrimage that takes us to the entrance of the church on Sunday.
We celebrate Mass, solemnly and beautifully sung, on the feast of Christ the King. During Mass, the new parish priest, Fr Marcel Lifaki, a Franciscan, begins his ministry as parish priest.
On Monday morning we leave: we lose two hours at the bac (the ferry) to cross the river, and at 9 a.m. we are in Mbiro, where I bless the new chapel.
And around noon we leave for Bangassou, where we arrive in the evening.
Tired, but happy!
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| Zemio |
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| La scuola di Zemio L?école de Zemio La escuela de Zemio |
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| Koumboli |
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| Rafai |
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| Mbiro |
