Jump to news clippings on religious freedom in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is considered to have a Christian majority, heavily influenced by animism. Approximately 35% of the population holds to indigenous beliefs, and roughly 15% is Muslim.[1]
Before the 2013 coup, religious freedom was guaranteed in the Constitution. 2012-2013 saw new levels of violence as CAR’s government and President deposed by an alliance of rebel militia factions, the Séléka. The Séléka attacked Christian communities, destroyed and looted places of worship.[2] The anti-balaka, formed with Christians and animists fighting back in cycle of violence which escalated in early 2014.
There are communities now almost completely devoid of Muslims, and tens of thousands have fled the country or remain internally displaced.[3] There are reports that as of March 2015, 417 of the country’s 436 mosques have been destroyed.[4] Hundreds of thousands of people remain internally displaced.[5] Boko Haram is seen as a threat to the people of the CAR because of the shared border with Cameroon where Boko Haram has made violent incursions.
Efforts towards reconciliation, though small and limited, are slowly starting to take shape.[6]
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By World Watch Monitor In Central African Republic, violence reached another peak last Thursday as dozens were killed in the small town of Alindao, in the south-east of the country. On 15 November, armed men believed to be members of a Séléka ... Full Article
By Christian Solidarity Worldwide At least 40 people were killed in an attack on 15 November on the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Aliandao town, Central African Republic (CAR), 200 miles east of the capital Bangui. On 15 November the Cathedral and ... Full Article
Reuters Three senior members of a Central African Republic rebel group were abducted by unknown assailants in the capital Bangui on Monday after participating in peace talks convened by interim President Catherine Samba-Panza’s government. ... Full Article
By Illia Djadi Several African leaders, concerned by the rise of Islamism in the continent, attended the Paris anti-terror march, on Sunday, January 11th. Among the 50 foreign leaders who marched there, African heads of state included those from ... Full Article
By: IBRAHIM ABDULAZIZ and HARUNA UMAR , Associated Press YOLA, Nigeria — Hundreds of bodies — too many to count — remain strewn in the bush in Nigeria from an Islamic extremist attack that Amnesty International suggested Friday is the ... Full Article
by Illia Djadi, WorldWatchMonitor The number of Nigerian girls abducted by Boko Haram continues to increase, as does global outrage. Between eight and 11 more teen-aged girls were kidnapped May 4 by the Islamist group, which on April 14 ... Full Article
Archbishop calls for commission into the crimes By Illia Djadi, World Watch Monitor For many Christians in the Central African Republic, Easter was synonymous with tragedy, adding to their already difficult circumstances. Two priests were ... Full Article
By Reverend Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou, Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, and The Most Reverend Dieudonne Nzapalainga | TIME An interreligious delegation comprised of top Christian and Muslim leaders from Central African Republic travelled to the ... Full Article
Up to 20 people were killed Saturday in an attack by suspected Boko Haram on a mosque in Buni Gari, a settlement about 105km from Yobe, the capital town of Yobe State in northeast Nigeria. “Reports say up to 20 innocent lives were ... Full Article
By: Krista LarsonThe Associated Press, Feb. 24, 2014 CARNOT, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC—Christian militiamen killed at least 70 people in the remote southwest of Central African Republic, at one point ordering a group of Muslims to lie on the ... Full Article
December 15, 2013 – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today announced that Canada will contribute $5 million to the UN-mandated trust fund to support the international mission led by the African Union in the Central African Republic ... Full Article
Three pastors were among those killed in the recent interfaith violence in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Pastors Raymond Doui, 46, Elisha Zama, 33, and Jean-Louis Makamba, 48, were killed on Dec. 5 as members of the ... Full Article
December 4, 2013 – Following ongoing reports of violence in the Central African Republic, including a United Nations report today of an attack on civilians near the capital Bangui, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the ... Full Article
