The Pope will meet Muslims who have sought shelter in Bangui after almost three years of violence between Christians and Muslims.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, most of the city’s remaining Muslim population were unable to leave the PK5 neighbourhood because of armed Christian militia fighters surroundings its perimeter.
Pope Francis today said he hoped upcoming elections in the conflict-hit Central African Republic would enable the country to peacefully begin a “new chapter” as he arrived in the capital Bangui.
The country descended into bloodshed more than two years ago after longtim Christian leader Francois Bozize was ousted by rebels from the mainly Muslim Seleka force triggering the worst crisis since independence in 1960. Their desire for peace was palpable even to us journalists travelling on a bus under United Nations escort.
The crowd decked out in the colors of the Vatican and the Central African Republic, and wearing T-shirts emblazoned, some of them with the image of Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Bangui, Mgr Dieudonne Nzapalainga, and others with those of the Holy Father and the President of the Transition Mrs. Catherine Samba Panza, sang the anthems of the Vatican and vehicle.
The Central African Republic is an active warzone following the December 2012 uprising which led to the overthrow of the president.
However, in the days before his scheduled arrival his exact itinerary has been in doubt and there has been speculation that security concerns might force the final leg of the pope’s first African tour to be called off altogether.
The precarious security in Bangui, which is awash in weapons, had raised the possibility in recent weeks that the pope could cancel his visit or at least trim it back.
“As the Central African Republic progressively moves, in spite of difficulties, towards the normalization of its social and political life, I come to this land for the first time, following my
predecessor Saint John Paul II”.
“Every one of us must do something”, said the pope. “In the name of the entire governing class of this country and also in the name of all those who have contributed in some way to its descent into hell, I confess all the evil that has been done here over history and ask forgiveness from the bottom of my heart”, she said in her welcome address at the presidential palace.
“This visit is a critical moment for a senior religious figure to condemn the violence by all sides, urge tolerance, and call for those responsible to be brought to justice”, said Lewis Mudge, country researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Francis’ message of peace and reconciliation appeared to have made a powerful impression, with a group of Muslim rebels turning up to join tens of thousands watching a papal mass at the capital’s Barthelemy Boganda Stadium.
The pope also visited a camp for thousands of Christians displaced by inter-religious violence.
The Vatican’s spokesman said Saturday Francis’ itinerary had been confirmed and all is expected to go ahead as planned, “if there are no particular surprises”. More than 3,000 peacekeepers from the MINUSCA UN mission will also be deployed and French troops will be on alert as well.
Advertisement
The tight security continued in the afternoon when he opened a “holy door” at the city’s cathedral for a symbolic local start of the Roman Catholic Church’s jubilee year on the theme of mercy.
