Church president reports an outbreak of violence
Destroyed village was one of the centres in the northern region of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic.
On December 3, 2024, the ELM received a message from the President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic (EELRCA), Joseph Ngoé. In it, he reported an attack on a village:
"On Sunday, December 1, at 3 a.m., rebels attacked the village of Yadé, one of our church centres in the northern region. One person was killed, 47 houses were burnt down, granaries and property were destroyed. Other goods were looted. The population is in panic - helpless, traumatised, and exposed to their sad fate."
According to Ngoé, the affected region of the Central African Republic has been a stronghold of rebels for 15 years. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is well established in this region with eight districts and 91 congregations. The village of Yadé is predominantly inhabited by Lutherans, with a small number of Catholics and Muslims. It is located near a mountain where the rebels had apparently hidden weapons and ammunition, Ngoé explains further. The state military had come to retrieve these weapons. This could have been the reason why the rebels attacked the village.
Against this backdrop, the President of the EELRCA request, among other things, support and prayers for the people affected. Dr. Emmanuel Kileo, Director of the ELM, has written to him to express the mission's solidarity: The incident is a tragedy that touches the hearts of all who believe in peace, compassion, and the sanctity of human life. ‘We pray for healing, comfort and justice for all those affected. May God grant the community courage and resilience to rebuild your faith and fellowship,’ wrote Kileo.
The current Wikipedia entry on the Central African Republic states that the country 'no longer exists as a cohesive, sovereign state entity due to the civil war that has been ongoing since 2012.' The authoritarian government regularly commits serious violations of human rights. The Central African Republic is considered one of the poorest countries in the world.
