after Bozoum, news from Bangassou: 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!