The 266th Pope and Sovereign of the Vatican City, Pope Francis, has started his visit of the Central African Republic. His first stay, also considered the center of his visit, was the conflict-ridden city of Bangui in the Central African Republic.
Soon after the Pope landed on the airstrip, near the UN refugee camp for the internally displaced, a group of militants killed three people near the Presidential Palace, where he is staying. The Pope not only comes as the religious leader of the Catholic people, but also as a diplomat, head of state (Vatican Sovereign), and a mediator between Christians and Muslims. He not only has a big following among Christians but also among Muslims.
He has been touted as a beacon of light in the midst of a years-long conflict that has not drawn religious lines and encompassed majority areas of the CAR. For years now, the Central African Republic has been divided into two major militant factions, Christians and Muslims. So far, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people in the region. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced, seeking refuge at the UN-built refugee camps.
The conflict, however, did not start as a religious war. In the beginning, it started as a rebellion against the government, but now it has been colored as a religious conflict, which has created a clear divide between the Christians and Muslims of the region.
“I have Muslim friends I haven’t seen for a year,” said Viviane Nzafeo, 42, who waited on the side of the road that was blocked by the UN peacemakers all the way to the Presidential Palace. Thousands of people wanted to see even a glimpse of their leader. “Before, it was not a religious war, it was a coup, but they’ve tried to make it about religion.”
The Pope’s visit to the region has been taken as a ray of hope in the religiously drawn conflict, and some think his presence in the region may draw diplomatic solutions among the religious factions.
“To all those who make unjust use of the weapons of this world, I make this appeal: Lay down these instruments of death!” Francis said during Mass at Bangui’s cathedral.
This is the first time a Vatican sovereign has visited a war-ridden area directly. He is hoping to bring a soothing resolution between the two militant groups.
“It is my fervent wish that the various national consultations to be held in coming weeks will enable the country to embark serenely on a new chapter of its history,” he said Sunday during a meeting with government officials.
However, some experts think that his visit or mass sermon will have little or no effect on the militant groups themselves, as the religious leaders have no effect or leadership among the factions.
“I don’t think the groups are going to disarm just because the pope calls for it,” said Lewis Mudge, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “But the pope’s visit brings international attention to CAR at a critical time.”
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