November 27, 2015 — Pope Francis’ brief visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) highlights major challenges faced by humanitarians and the populations they serve each day. The head of the Roman Catholic Church will be in the oft-overlooked war-torn country on November 29 and 30, 2015. In addition to acting as a much-needed symbol of reconciliation, he should also address the reality on the ground and speak out on the ongoing difficulties faced by civil society and humanitarian actors, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said today.
The security situation in CAR has calmed since the recent two flare-ups on and after September 26 and October 26, but stability is never a given. History has shown that any incident or rumor can rapidly spiral and deteriorate an already fragile status quo.
“A number of troublemakers on all sides still do not recognize the genuine public interest of humanitarian actors’ work in Central African Republic, and that is a very dangerous and counterproductive trend,” said Rodolphe Moinaux, CAR country director at the International Rescue Committee. “Confusing aid work with political discourse is not going to improve the situation in the long run. We are here to help.”
Humanitarian actors in CAR like the IRC face serious daily obstacles in conducting their work, as volatile security has a direct impact on access to the most vulnerable populations. In Bangui, the IRC still lacks access to a majority of the 14 neighborhoods where it operates. This has long-term consequences on humanitarian work. Outside the capital, in an around Bocaranga and Kaga Bandoro, humanitarian workers face the daily realities of looting, carjacking and intimidation perpetrated by warring parties on all sides, which severely hinders a population in need’s access to the most basic services on the frontlines of the ongoing conflict.
And this is something that is of increasing concern to international and local nongovernmental organizations alike. Blasco Ouamoundjou, head of programming at the local humanitarian organization AEDM, which partners with the IRC as part of an active civil society building effort in the capital, said:
“If we see that the tensions are too high, we cannot afford to travel to implement our programs. This means that we have to suspend our activities and wait until the situation improves. […] This impacts programming and beneficiaries, but also the community as a whole.”
“We ask for security and peace. When we see militias with arms everywhere, it’s scary. It’s really scary. […] They need to be disarmed in an effective way – that would let us breathe a little. Now, we are in prison in our own country.”
The pope’s anticipated itinerary will take him to conduct a mass at Bangui’s Cathedral as well as a visit to the capital’s central mosque, located in PK5. To address the crisis in CAR, during his visit, the pope should:
- Stress the importance of building trust between communities, confronting deep-seeded stigma between warring parties and civilians who are caught in the middle;
- Strongly and publicly condemn attacks and violence against humanitarian organizations, and call on all parties to the conflict to respect the neutrality and impartiality of humanitarian workers, and respect international humanitarian law;
- Call on all parties to grant humanitarian actors safe access to all current and future areas of operation so they can conduct proper assessments of the population’s needs in order to respond adequately. The IRC urgently calls for access to PK5, a Muslim enclave in the capital which remains under siege by the anti-Balaka who are not letting any civilians out or any humanitarian actors in. The situation remains dire and the population’s access to food is a major concern for the IRC, who cannot reach the community to conduct an assessment of their needs; and
- Call on the international community and donors to redouble their support in CAR and continue funding social services such as health until the government is able to take over or to get support from medium and long-term donors.
IRC spoke with Josey Stephane Poukesseranuji, researcher and professor in Mining and Biology at the University of Bangui who is also active in the local civil society arena. He sees the pope’s visit as an opportunity to show the world exactly what is going on in his country, and is hopeful that the religious leader will not only speak to those in power, but also those who bear the brunt of the conflict:
“The pope’s arrival is welcomed by all Central Africans. The first thing that I would ask him if I had the chance is to take a look at who is benefitting from this war. […] It is not a religious war, but a war based on personal and political gain; those who hold the power use religion as an excuse to kill each other – for nothing. […] Our country is one with no effective judicial system, where nothing works, where everyone makes up their own rules. And the people are those who suffer. [We hope] that the pope will understand that behind all this, there are power-hungry people who use their own people to tear everything apart, to tear each other apart. That is the reality of this country.”
“We sincerely hope for peace, but not the kind where leaders’ main concern is to protect their own interest […] and start rumors to try to divert the reality of what is happening here. […] It is the people who suffer, and now humanitarians are also dealing with the consequences. They often cannot help because everyone’s main goal has become illegally enriching themselves on the backs of the people. Now that journalists are arriving to see the pope in CAR, I hope that they really make the effort to show the true reality of how much the population is suffering. […] We are counting on you.”
International attention on CAR should not stop with Pope Francis’ departure on November 30. The referendum and first round of elections, which had been scheduled for December 13 and 27, respectively, have now reportedly been postponed to April. When elections go forward, it will be critical to ensure the securitization of both voters and candidates as the electoral season has the potential to be characterized by heightened levels of insecurity. Inclusivity, meaning the registration of all Central Africans, including refugees and the internally displaced, regardless of ethno, religious, or intercommunal ties, is key. It is the only way to mitigate the risk of elections exacerbating existing tensions.
“An increasingly bleak future breeds everyday opportunism, and parties to the conflict in the Central African Republic are shooting themselves in the foot,” said Moinaux. “Looting a health center whose services the perpetrator may need the very next day is not going to help anyone in the long run and the most vulnerable are paying the price.”