BANGUI - Hassan Isilow
The top Christian and Muslim religious leaders in the war-ravaged Central African Republic (CAR) are joining hands, once again, to prevent their country from sliding further in the abyss of sectarian violence.
"Muslims and Christians have co-existed in this country for many years," Bangui Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.
"The imam and myself are discussing how we could use our positions in sensitizing our respective communities so they can stop the ongoing sectarian violence," he asserted.
Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, a top leader of the Muslim community in CAR, has confidence in their ability of bring the two warring parties to the negotiating table.
"I remember last year, I went with the archbishop to the bush to speak to the former seleka fighters," he told AA.
"So I have confidence that we shall work well with the church in ending this violence," he said.
President Michel Djotodia reiterated on Saturday readiness to hold talks with his rivals and hold elections to end the ongoing crisis in the country.
CAR, a landlocked, mineral-rich country, descended into anarchy in March, when Seleka rebels – said to be mostly Muslims – ousted Christian president François Bozize, who had come to power in a 2003 coup.
The country has since been plagued by tit-for-tat sectarian violence between the self-styled anti-balaka Christian militias and ex-seleka fighters.
According to estimates by humanitarian agencies, more than 600 people have been killed in Bangui alone in the past two weeks.
On Friday, at least 29 Muslims were killed when the Christian militia attacked the predominantly Muslim neighborhood of Kilometer 5 in Bangui.
-Must end-
Archbishop Nzapalainga said all bishops had started using their platforms to tell their parishioners to stop the violence.
"It would be unfair for me as a Christian leader not to play a role in defusing this crisis," he asserted.
"We can’t allow violence to continue in our country," said the top Christian clergyman. "Muslims are citizens of this country."
According to the CIA factbook, Christians account for around 50 percent of CAR's total population while Muslims account for roughly 15 percent.
Archbishop Nzapalainga said they will hold meetings with the youth in order to sensitize them against sectarian violence and intolerance.
"In some areas of CAR both Muslims and Christians still live together in harmony despite the ongoing violence," he insisted.
-Political not religious-
Father Innocent Awulu of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Boyirab, a suburb of Bangui, insists that the ongoing conflict is political and not religious as many believe.
"I strongly believe the cause of this conflict is political," he told AA inside the heavily guarded church compound, where over 10,000 displaced people are currently living.
"We Christians and Muslims have been living together happily without any tension," he said.
"It is unfortunate that the religious intolerance we have been witnessing in other parts of the world has today come to CAR," regretted Awulu.
But the task to bridge the sectarian divide is not easy.
"I have never hated Muslims but because of the loss that seleka brought to me, I don’t feel like seeing a Muslim " a woman sleeping inside the Catholic mission in Boyirab told AA.
"They remind me of the day seleka attacked my home," she added as tears filled her eyes.
In a report issued last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Christian militias of perpetrating "atrocities" against Muslims in CAR.
"The anti-balaka have killed several hundred Muslims, burned their homes and stolen their cattle," concluded the report.
Nonetheless, Imam Layama remains hopeful that the sectarian violence could be brought to an end.
"The current sectarian violence will end if we can unite as religious leaders and tell our respective communities to stop the violence," he told AA.
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