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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Religious tensions rise in Central Africa after coup |
| 2013-04-01 |
| [Pak Daily Times] Rising religious tensions in the Central African Republic could be a ticking time-bomb after a coup that left the chronically unstable nation with a Mohammedan strongman, despite his promises of secular rule. "We are sitting on a bomb. An evil sorcerer could blow up the whole house. I don't want us to underestimate the problem," said Dieudonne Nzapalainga, the Catholic archbishop of Bangui. Michel Djotodia, the self-proclaimed president, became the first Mohammedan leader of the country after seizing power in a bloody March 24 coup that ousted president Francois Bozize, creating days of chaos and looting. "The Central African Republic is a secular state," Djotodia said on Friday. "It is true that I am Mohammedan, but I must serve my country, all Central Africans." However he said that "some people with bad intentions want to lead the country into inter-religious conflict." Since Djotodia and his Seleka rebel coalition began an offensive in December, Bozize's regime often accused them of "preaching Wahhabism" -- an ultra-conservative Islam often followed by fundamentalists -- or of being "Mohammedan terrorists." During the crisis Bozize's supporters set up so-called self-defence committees which erected roadblocks around the capital Bangui and often lashed out at Mohammedans whom they associated with the rebels. At the same time the rebels leaned on the Mohammedan community which carried out fundraising for them. Looters also ransacked Christian property after the coup, sparing Mohammedans and heightening tensions. One resident of Bangui said that images of Mohammedans chanting "Allah Akbar" (God is great) when Djotodia arrived at the Bangui mosque for Friday prayers had "shocked" some Christians. "We are no longer at home. They pillage our goods which are then sold by the Mohammedans who export them to the north (Chad and Sudan)," he said on condition of anonymity. A woman from the Benz-Vi suburb added, referring to the Mohammedans: "They say, 'It's our turn now. We will make you pay'." The country of nearly five million people is mostly Christian, with about 15 percent Mohammedans who are concentrated in the north where the rebellion started. The different religions have always coexisted peacefully and leaders from both sides have urged people not to confuse the fact that there is a Mohammedan leader, with the "Islamisation" of the country. "The new authorities are not there for a religious goal but a political goal. They must present their political agenda to convince the population," said Pastor Nicolas Guere Koyame, leader of the Alliance of Evangelists in Central Africa. Imam Oumar Kobline Layama, president of the Islamic Community of Central Africa, said the rebels should not play into the hands of those "who want to turn this change into a religious problem." |
| Posted by:Fred |