Religious tensions between Christians and Muslims within the Central African Republic (CAR) have began to defuse within the last decade, with a visit by Pope Francis in 2015 being praised as providing an unexpected moment of unity between the 2 faiths.
Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Aurelio Gazzera, coadjutor bishop of Bangassou Diocese, described relations between the 2 communities as “fairly good”.
The CAR has been in a state of civil war since December 2012. It has been presented by some as a spiritual conflict with Muslim rebels opposing a Christian government. Bishop Gazeera nonetheless disputed such a characterisation, saying the war is “above all an ethnic and political conflict, even when those involved belonged to different religions”.
The war has attracted outside involvement, with Rwanda, the UN and Russia all sending forces to assist the federal government. The CAR is one in every of many African countries where the Russian Wagner Group has been engaged in operations.
Despite the war, faith leaders from each traditions have attempted to defuse tensions via an inter-faith initiative.
Muslim Imam Layama, Catholic Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga and evangelical leader Rev Nicolas Guerekoyame began the initiative after Islamic militias began targeting Christians and Animists, who in turn formed their very own militia groups to do the identical to the Muslims.
Bishop Gazzera noted cases where Christians had shown great personal courage to guard Muslim refugees.
“The Anti-Balaka [i.e. anti-Muslim] climbed over the gate of the Sisters’ school and seized the refugees who were accommodated there,” he said.
“Thereupon, one in every of the Sisters, at the chance of her life, went to the leader of the militia and said to him: ‘You are a criminal! You haven’t any right to enter a spot where there are refugees. You must allow them to go.’ And he did.”
The bishop also noted that surprisingly, a visit by Pope Francis in 2015 had also helped reduced tensions.
Due to the continued conflict, the Pope was advised to not go to the CAR. The visit nonetheless went ahead, with a mass being held within the capital of Bangui.
Bishop Gazzera said of the event, “On the day of the Mass within the stadium, 30 November 2015, the entry of Imam Omar Kobine Lamaya, President of the Higher Islamic Council of the CAR, was enthusiastically celebrated by the faithful and was an unforgettable moment of brotherhood.
“This gesture, along with the Pope’s visit, promoted interreligious dialogue in a time of maximum tensions.”
The bishop added that he hoped for peace and said that the CAR has an enormous amount of potential, if only its people can learn to work together.
 Religious tensions between Christians and Muslims within the Central African Republic (CAR) have began to defuse within the last decade,...){kind=link}