News bulletin 98 (2- 9 March 2009)
Mar 11th, 2009 by Gisele Willybiro, OCHA
Highlights
- Presidential Guard intervention leads to the death of a police chief
- Departure of François Lonseny Fall, Special Representative for the UN’s Secretary General in the Central African Republic
- First satellite clinic opened by NGO ‘Emergency
Background and security
Police chief killed; local protests
An intervention by the Presidential Guard in Bangui’s Miskine district took a dramatic turn on the evening of Thursday the 5th of March. According to various sources, the police Chief Samuel Samba was seriously injured when members of the Presidential Guard attempted to disarm him. The Presidential Guard subsequently brought him to hospital.
Believing the police chief to be dead, witnesses at the scene took their protest to the streets, blocking traffic by putting up barricades and burning tyres. The police fired in the air in an attempt to disperse the protesters, 7 of whom were injured.
The following morning, news of the death of the police chief was released and more protesters took to the streets of Miskine district and its outskirts. By the end of the day, however, calm had returned to the city of Bangui.
The Minister of State for Communication and government spokesperson Cyriaque Gonda announced the opening of an inquiry to find out who killed the police chief. « These killers, without exception, will be arrested and made to face justice in court, » said Minster Gonda.
Chief of State on visit to Libya
CAR’s President General François Bozizé travelled to Syrte in Libya on the 7th of March to deliver the final report from December 2008’s talks in Bangui which led to the Inclusive Political Dialogue to his Libyan counterpart Colonel Mouammar Kadhafi.
The Chief of State also spoke to Mr. Kadhafi of his concern about ongoing hostilities with the Front Démocratique du Peuple Centrafricain (FDPC) whose leader, Abdoulaye Miskine lives in Libya.
Shortly before the Inclusive Political Dialogue was held, the FDPC broke the peace accord signed in Syrte in February 2007 with an ambush on Central African armed forces (FACA) in Moyenne-Sido, close to the border with Chad. In another recent incident, on the 20th of February, FDPC fighters attacked the village of Batangafo in CAR’s North West.
Current events
4 billion FCFA for CAR’s energy sector
A finance agreement of 4 billion FCFA was signed on the 6th of March to improve electrical production facilities in Boali, 60 kilometers from Bangui. Present at the signing were Minister of State for Mines and Water Power Sylvain Ndoutingai, the Minister for Planning, the Economy and International Cooperation Sylvain Malko as well as the World Bank’s Operational Director in CAR Mary Barton-Dock.
This funding aims to reduce the number of power cuts which can last up to eight hours in some of Bangui’s neighbourhoods. Mary Barton-Dock pointed out that this emergency project comes in response to the energy crisis, a response which fits into the World Bank’s strategy of facilitating the revival of economic activities in the Central African Republic, fitting in with the rehabilitation project which has upgraded urban infrastructure.
In practical terms, this project aims to re-establish a reliable supply of electricity to customers of Central African Energy (ENERCA) and Central African water supply (SODECA) as well as improving performance of hospital staff.
François Lonseny Fall leaves CAR
Ambassador François Lonseny Fall, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in CAR landed in Bangui in October 2007. He left the Central African Republic on the 5th of March 2009 in order to return to his homeland Guinea for personal reasons.
At a goodbye dinner on the 3rd of March hosted by the President of the Republic, Ambassador Fall urged the Chief of State to continue working in the same direction and expressed the hope that the recommendations of the Inclusive Political Dialogue (IPD) would be seen through.
The UN diplomat also exhorted the Central African authorities to address security issues and to not neglect new threats in this context. He further encouraged the international community to continue their efforts in CAR.
The Minster for Foreign Affairs, Général Antoine Gambi, acknowledged and applauded the United Nations’ work in the country and the support of Ambassador Fall for the IPD.
Health
First satellite clinic opens in Bangui
Italian NGO Emergency specialises in cardio-vascular treatment – their first sub-regional satellite clinic was opened in Bangui on the 6th of March to offer monitoring for cardiac conditions as well as paediatric care. It was opened under the patronage of the President of the Republic.
According to Claudio Miglietta, Emergency’s regional coordinator, the aim of his organisation is to guarantee the best medical care without charge, thanks to their regional centre for cardiac surgery in Khartoum, Sudan, which will be linked into a system of satellite clinics.
This Bangui centre will offer paediatric care and medical monitoring for patients requiring cardiac surgery. Claudio Miglietta points out these two activities are complimentary, as primary care in paediatrics can help early diagnosis of pulmonary disease which make up the most frequent causes of heart disease.
Emergency has provided 400 million FCFA for this clinic which offers 8 hospital beds and a team of 54 staff, 5 of whom are ex-pats.
Education
School, key to development in Vakaga region ?
«We’ve come back to Birao to help our brothers and sisters believe in a future in Vakaga, thanks to school ». These are the words of Abdel-Karim and Samuel, one Muslim, one Christian, both recent returnees to Vakaga after their studies in Bangui.
Abdel-Karim is originally from Tahal village, 85 kilometres from Birao on the Ounda Djallé road, a star student from his first school days in Birao at the local school, followed by secondary school and university studies in Bangui where he gained a degree in Technical Studies and Community Development.
His next step was with the NGO Triangle as an education assistant promoting teaching in the Vakaga prefecture. His job involves travelling to towns and villages to do evaluations on the ground as well as awareness-raising sessions with local parents and students on the need for education for all children, including girls, who tend to leave school early to get married.
Abdel-Karim’s friend Samuel is from Benguess, about 50 kms from Birao – he lost his father at a very young age. Samuel’s mother paid for the education of 6 of her 7 children by selling produce from her fields. A neighbour stepped in to support two of her children to get through the first stage of the secondary education: Samuel and one of his brothers.
Samuel was sent to Bangui to get his baccalaureat and continued his studies in economics at the university. But during this first year at university, he had to drop out to return home to Birao to support his mother. Like Abdel-Karim, Samuel got a job working in Triangle’s education programme. He’s hoping to be able to leave for Bangui again to finish off his studies, before returning to work in Vakaga in the future.
For Abdel-Karim and Samuel, the climate, the distance, the isolation of the region – none of these drawbacks will discourage them from their commitment: to help get schools back up and running and to gain equal access for girls to school. None of these drawbacks will hinder development any more than religious differences would. Such are the significant challenges these two young men are facing – continuing their work raising awareness amongst community leaders, heads of families, young people, parents of pupils and children as well.
Contact Us:
Gisèle Willybiro- Maïdou | willybiro@un.org | +236 75 54 90 31
