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Pope Francis’ trip around Africa began in Kenya and ended in the Central African Republic this Monday. He had an eventful trip, and he saved the most difficult part of his journey for last.
The country suffers from conflict
The pope travelled to Bangui in the CAR. The country has been suffering conflict for decades. In 2013, President Francois Bozize was removed from power by a coup. Then, rebels from the north, a majority of whom were Muslim, marched on Bangui and briefly took control of the city because they felt that they were not properly represented by the central government.
{adinserter CNP5}
Religions are divided
Within the last two years, there have been more clashes between Muslims and Christians. The CAR’s population is about 50% Christian and 15% Muslim. When the rebellion targeted some churches and other Christian communities, militias against the violence were created. A cycle of violence followed, leaving towns and villages divided and hundreds of thousands of people displaced into camps. The United Nations estimates that more than 400,000 people in the nation have been displaced over the last two years.
Many people were trapped
Because of the violence, over 100,000 Muslims fled the capital city. But about 15,000 were not able to leave. They are stranded in an area called PK5 and have been isolated for months. The separate militias stand guard at the neighborhood’s gates. They are the ones who decide who is allowed to enter and exit.
Happily welcomed
The pope visited the Koudoukou mosque in PK5. The residents were happy to receive him: the mosque had been freshly painted just for his visit and the Vatican flag was displayed in the front yard. Security was tight – armed UN peacekeepers were stationed and keeping an eye on the crowd. Francis met with Muslim clerics inside the mosque. Imam Tidiani Moussa Naibi thanked the Pope for his visit and said it was “a symbol which we all understand.”
A call for peace and brotherhood
The pope has spread a message of peace throughout the entire trip. During this visit, he called unity and brotherhood between Christians and Muslims.
“Together we must say no to hatred, to revenge and to violence, particularly that violence which is perpetrated in the name of a religion or of God himself,” he said.
He asked those who are fighting to lay down their arms and expressed hope that the upcoming election would start a new chapter for the CAR. Then he held his final Mass in Africa. After leaving the mosque, Francis visited a school in a Muslim area of Bangui.
