ICC Note: Prominent Evangelical pastor, Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou of the Central African Republic’s (CAR) Evangelical Alliance, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt over the weekend in Bangui, CAR’s capitol. A group of Muslims entered his home at the Elim Church compound asking for him to present himself. The reverend had left the compound no more than 30 minutes prior. Reverend Gbangou has been a key figure in the peace process between the predominately Muslim Seleka group and the predominately animist Anti-Balaka. Riots broke out in Bangui over the weekend after a Muslim cab driver was killed by unknown assailants, prompting local Muslims to attack local Christian communities. During the riots two churches, The Catholic Saint Michel church and Saint Mathias Parish were set ablaze and ransacked and desecrated respectively. The violence in CAR has been primarily an political conflict where ethnicity and religion have been used to scapegoat opposing sides. 

10/01/2015 Central African Republic (World Watch Monitor) – One of the top three religious leaders in the Central African Republic, who has won global recognition for his efforts to end the conflict, has escaped an assassination attempt, as the capital, Bangui, has seen a renewed wave of violence.
Coming just a few weeks before a planned referendum and subsequent October elections aimed at putting an end to the transitional government, this violence has now caused the interim President to cancel the elections.

The President of CAR’s Evangelical Alliance, Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou, was targeted in an attack apparently triggered by the death of a young Muslim motorbike taxi driver. His body was found in the predominantly Christian 5th district on Saturday, 26 September, then taken to a mosque in the 3rd district, known also as Km5 – formerly considered by many as a stronghold of Séléka rebels, and a “no-go zone” for all non-Muslims.

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