after Bozoum, news from Bangassou

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Between Central Africa, Italy, and Spain

La Comida: i volontari
La Comida: les bénévoles
La Comida: los voluntarios

Between Central Africa, Italy, and Spain

March 17, 2026

After the peacekeeping mission in Zemio, Obo, and Bambouti, the situation in the area has improved slightly: the return of the population to Bambouti, the departure of displaced persons from Zemio...

I continued my journey to Bangui.

Here, on Saturday, February 21st, the bishops of Central Africa met with Cardinal Robert Sarah, sent by the Pope to visit the Episcopal Conference. Cardinal Sarah, 80, is originally from Guinea Conakry. Threatened by the government, he spent several years in Rome, with great responsibility. He is a prominent figure in Africa and a "Father of the Church."

On Wednesday the 25th, I left Bangui, headed for Italy. I spent the first few days "running" between Milan, Tortona, Padua, Faenza, L'Aquila, and Rome, before continuing on Tuesday, March 3rd, to Cuneo.

Here, on Tuesday, March 10th, together with the Friends of Father Aurelio ODV Association (https://www.padreaureliogazzera.it/), we organized a beautiful evening to present Bangassou and the work we are doing.

On Thursday, March 12th, I left for Spain, and arrived in Cordoba in the evening. Here, I met with Bishop Juan José Aguirre, his family, and the Bangassou Foundation (https://fundacionbangassou.org/), as well as my family, who arrived from Italy on Friday.

Saturday, March 14th, is Comida Day: a solemn luncheon, bringing together more than 1,000 people united by love and solidarity for the works of the Bangassou diocese (evangelization, schools, hospitals, orphans, the elderly, etc.).

We are gathered at the Circulo de l'Amistad, a beautiful space. Here we said goodbye to so many people, and the miracle of solidarity for Bangassou was renewed: it is being created by the nearly 200 volunteers who prepared and organized everything, including the young men and women who served at the table (very young, but highly professional), the dozens of businesses, shops, and individuals who donated wine, bread, cured meats, and cheeses, and the nearly one thousand people who wanted to participate and generously shared their time and resources for Bangassou and the various projects of the diocese.

I left Cordoba today, Tuesday, March 17, to return to Bangassou. I left with the joy of having encountered charity and hope everywhere. In such tense times for all humanity, it is important to start again from a shared faith, concrete charity, and hope for the future.

Le cardinal Sarah

Padova

L'Aquila

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Steps of peace: aeroplane, motorbike, on foot, helicopter...

Steps of peace: aeroplane, motorbike, on foot, helicopter...

20 February 2026

A week of peace!

The situation in Haut-Mbomou Prefecture (East) has worsened in recent weeks.

On 28 December, election day, AAKG rebels attacked the village of Bambouti, on the border with the DRC and South Sudan. They kidnapped the Prefect and other officials.

In other cities, particularly Mboki and Zemio, there have been further attacks. In Zemio, within a few hours, the parish was filled with more than 3,500 displaced persons.

So, together with the Platform of Religious Denominations, we decided to carry out a mission to Zemio and Obo to engage in dialogue and listen to the population and the parties in conflict.

On Thursday 12th, we left Bangassou. On the plane, I met the other members of the Platform: Pastor Nicolas, Imam Abdoul, and three women, Nina, Adidja and Clarisse.

After a quick stopover in Obo, the MINUSCA plane took us to Zemio, where we arrived around 12.30 pm.

The parish is full of refugees! In recent days, thanks to the help of the Czech Republic government and the NGO SIRIRI.OPS, the local Caritas has been able to distribute food, soap and various supplies to the people.

The programme is very intense: meeting after meeting, we meet young people, women, leaders of various religious denominations, civil and military authorities. The situation is dire, although there are some small signs of improvement. Schools are trying to resume classes, but the number of pupils, which was 8,157 last year, is now only 1,014!

We listen to everyone with great respect for their suffering and encourage them not to lose heart. It is not easy!

On Saturday morning, we leave for Obo, a 40-minute flight away.

Obo, the prefectural capital, has remained relatively calm, thanks in part to the work done by the parish priest, together with other people in the city, to reduce tensions.

Here too, we are all listening: this is a population that has seen all kinds of horrors for more than twenty years.

There are practically no roads: a lot of concrete, which costs 15 euros in Bangui, costs more than 75 euros in Zemio!

The local armed forces are often weak and lack resources and financial support. They often operate with Russian mercenaries, and both sides often act violently and without much respect for the law...

We also meet with the authorities and the military, and we remind everyone of the need to listen to the population, which is terrified not only by the rebels but also by the military itself. In a meeting I held, 49 out of 50 people do not sleep at home but spend the night in the fields for fear of arrest or violence.

On Tuesday, 17 February, we travel to Bambouti by helicopter. Here we visit a village that is completely deserted, apart from the military and the Blue Helmets. The doors of the houses are open, and the buildings recently constructed by the UN are empty: the prefecture, the dispensary, the schools...

At around 11 a.m., we set off by motorbike towards the nearby border. We are in Source Yubu, in South Sudan. Here, the borders are very fragile, partly because the population belongs to the same ethnic group and speaks the same language.

The inhabitants of Bambouti have taken refuge here and have been welcomed without too many problems by the South Sudanese.

First we hold a meeting with the authorities, and then with some of the refugees. We urge them to return to their homes, to their fields, and not to be afraid of the soldiers, whom we have met and who promise to welcome and protect them.

After a quick trip to the local market, we hit the road again, and the rain accompanies us all the way to Bambouti. The road, or rather the path, is slippery, and some motorcycles fall... but no one is injured. We return to Obo around 4 p.m.

Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, with Ash Wednesday. On the same day, Muslims begin Ramadan.

At 6.30 in the morning, we gather at the stadium for a moment of ecumenical prayer for peace. It is a beautiful moment, with many people, accompanied by a beautiful sign: the blessing of the earth.

During the day, we continue our meetings to present the various conclusions to young people, authorities, women... and we finish around 9 pm, after a meeting with some of the rebel 'leaders'.

On Thursday morning, we prepare to leave, but the flight is cancelled and postponed until Friday. We spend the morning discussing with MINUSCA (the Blue Helmets) how to take further steps towards peace. Among these, perhaps, God willing, the opening of a middle school, the "School of Peace"...

A mission that began with many difficulties and much fear, but which is now beginning to bear some small fruit, sowing seeds of change and offering much hope. May the Lord help these timid seeds to grow and flourish!