Dear CLM, friends, relatives, acquaintances…
To all PEACE and GOOD
Here I am again to tell you a little about the situation of the country, how we intend to continue our activities despite instability climate in which we live. Today I am writing in a personal capacity, without Tere because we did not have time to write together.
When we wrote in January, Teresa and I talked about our fears and anxieties. Today the theme remains the same, only of being distant spectators we have become close spectators to the scenes of violence and even “victims of threats.”
The players have changed, instead of the “rebels” Seleka now they are the “liberators” Anti-balaka and youth groups call themselves of “self-defense” that are present in every village, and whose principal objective is to destroy all that it was Muslims.
When the Seleka reached Mongoumba the population was not hurt seriously, largely because of the intervention of the mayor (he was Muslim). With the advancement of the Anti-balaka or Siriri, Muslims began to fear for their safety. When threats escalated women and children took refuge in the neighboring country, just being men who resisted some time despite the threats, trying to keep their properties and assets. As they didn´t feel safe in their homes sought asylum and slept some nights in the mission, at the house of the missionaries. At the end they also have gone and have left to the care of the priest two motorcycles and some personal items.
While in the capital, Bangui, the biggest problems and clashes were between Seleka and Anti-balaka in Mongoumba and other nearby villages were, and remain to be, local youth groups, uncontrollable, who on behalf of the Anti-balaka began to create confusion, destroying, pillaging and burning everything that is Muslim and threatening those who in any way helped or protect the few possessions they left behind. They are young adults, young bandits under the influence of drugs and alcohol let themselves be manipulated by others who somehow try to exploit the chaos for personal gain. They have all kinds of handmade weapons such as spears, swords, machetes and hunting weapons. They are a strange group of extravagantly dressed, some uniformed as true military, others looking straight out of a carnival parade, and all using and abusing of amulets, not missing among them crucifixes and rosaries, as almost all call themselves Christians.
What has touched us in this wave of violence that swept our little paradise has been the indifference and silence of both the authorities and the population in general. The following Sunday at the first pillage was made an appeal to the churches, to pray next to the mosque in order to alert and raise awareness to prevent the desecration and destruction of the temple. But the participation was reduced to twenty people. An appeal fell on deaf ears. A few hours later the hammers began their destructive action that nobody tried to avoid. A space that could be used for other purposes is now a pile of rubble.
From the indifference and silence a large portion of the population rose to applaud the actions of the militias as if they were heroes. This fact was confirmed when the group of “self-defense” was to pressure the deputy mayor to hand over a fugitive, not a Muslim, arrived from another town where he was wanted on charges of having denounced Christians to the forces of the Seleka. And also, although in a more discreet manner, when they were to demand to be hand over the two motorcycles that had left the Muslims in the house of the Fathers, where these young men came armed, and in an aggressive and arrogant manner. Motorcycles and other belongings of Muslims were given to them in the presence of the police commissioner (although he has no real power, at least is an authority), and were asked to sign a document of delivery. Despite the tension got Fr Jesus manage the situation so that the group failed to keep any of the belongings they were guarding, and the next day they were delivered to the Anti-balaka located 20 km from Mongoumba.
We do not understand this wave of hate and violence against the people who have grown up and lived in harmony in a population which so far had not come up with anything bad, where Muslims marched discreetly… We do not understand this hatred. It is true that stories of what has happened and is happening in other parts of the country have a negative influence on people. Nobody said a word in favor of Chadians whether they are from the Seleka, the MISCA or ordinary civilians. All speak against Chad and forget that not all Muslims are Chadians.
Our situation is precarious, we are not well regarded, because although we have tried to act with the utmost discretion we have taken some unpopular measures, such as suspension, for a week, of all parish activities (except mass). They have openly accused us of having protected the Muslims, but even have been rumors that Father Jesus was seen as pro-Chadian having stayed several years as a missionary in Chad. We think we can suffer threats, but so far has not happened.
Some time ago the silence night in Mongoumba was because people had gone to take refuge in the forest, today there is also silence, not because people leave, but because by nightfall the houses are enclosed to avoid confrontations in a land where there is no authority, is rare the night in which no shots are heard.
Comparing what happened in the rest of the country and even in other towns and villages in the region our situation remains privileged. God continues to protect Mongoumba! Mbata, 40 km away, whose parish until December was accompanied by the Comboni missionaries of Mongoumba, was partially destroyed, and there were some dead, Muslims and non-Muslims. Even today many people continued to live in the jungle because they have no longer means and cannot repair the houses that were totally burned.
The most stressful situations in our diocese have been experienced in the parishes of Boda and Ngoto that have been attacked several times, including the missions, and in the last pillage were left without cars, motorcycles and even without some phones. In these populations there are frequent conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, being our Bishop D. Rino the main mediator between the two parties.
The French and African troops attempted to disarm and neutralize the rebels from the Seleka, who left the capital, but are still active in other areas. On the other hand with the taking of power of the “liberators” Anti-balaka started the persecution of Muslims and has been true massacres. The anti-balaka militia, who call themselves Christians, are incited and manipulated by men with a thirst for power.
D. Nzapalainga, archbishop of Bangui, that since the beginning of the conflict is accompanied by the Imam and a Pastor representative for the Protestant churches, in a joint effort to restore peace, said recently that, overall, they ask to take responsibility, at national and international levels, to all those who have used and manipulated young.
In the middle of all the confusion small signs of hope emerge. The Bishop of Bangassou, Juan José Aguirre said that his diocese self-defense militias have been neutralized by the committees of inter-religious mediation and that some parishes have begun training courses involving young Catholics, Protestants and Muslims.
Despite the instability and tension with which we live we have continued to work on all projects normally, trying to respond to this mission that we were sent. Sometimes it’s hard, there are moments of discouragement, but who says that the mission is easy?
Are becoming scarce many products (salt, sugar, drugs …), officials do not receive wages and there is little money in circulation, but … there’s always a but … NGOs came in force and with them comes money, drugs, food, clothing , drinking water … and well-paid jobs albeit temporary.
Finally only say it’s worth “suffering” for the mission. It is always good to know that someone thinks of us, we are not alone!
We count on your prayers.
United in peace, a hug.
Elia Gomes (CLM in Mongoumba).
Pope Francis has released his message for Lent this year. The text offered by Francisco, which takes as its theme a fragment of the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians – “He became poor to enrich us with his poverty” (Cor 8.9) – the Pope reflects on the “poverty that enriches “from the point of view of Christ, and the different forms of poverty that humanity suffers at the present time.
