Central African Republic: A Meager Haul

Weekly French Translation

A voluntary disarmament drive organized this Sunday in Bangui collected grenades, machetes, rifles and bows from Muslim neighborhoods, but received negligible amounts of weaponry from Christian areas of the city; accentuating the ongoing tension between both groups in the Central African Republic.

Une cinquantaine de grenades, des machettes, des fusils, des arcs du coté du quartier musulman mais rien ou presque dans les quartiers chrétiens: le désarmement volontaire organisé dimanche à Bangui a encore accentué les divergences qui opposent les deux communautés.

This Article has been translated from French. Click Here to read the original version on Slate Afrique

Mahomet Abdel arrived hand in hand with his young son on Sunday to drop off two Chinese grenades, in compliance with "the day of voluntary disarmament", an effort organized by civil authorities in all eight of Bangui's arrondissements and two neighboring communities, Begoua and Bimbo.

"I don't want any more problems. I want peace.  We have suffered a lot.  I heard about this effort and I gave in everything", said Mahomet, wearing shorts and a basketball jersey, as he walked out of Bangui's 3rd arrondissement's town hall, situated at the heart of PK-5, an enclave where some of the city's remaining Muslims have found refuge.

Mahomet had purchased ten grenades following the December 5th outbreak of violence, when anti-Balaka Christian militias carried out major attacks on Séléka rebels and Muslims in general.

Each grenade costs approximately 2,500 CFA — about the cost of two kilos of sugar.  Mahomet claims he used them to "dent" anti-balaka members, saying he most recently had to use the explosives after a Muslim-Christian reconciliation football match degenerated into fighting, and three Muslims were killed.

In the PK-5 quarter, more than 100 people arrived on Sunday morning to turn in their weapons.  Each time a weapon was turned in, African forces seized the item and city officials registered the citizen's name and phone number, while a group of female onlookers applauded in approval.

Women like Awa Gonadet, however, remain skeptical about men turning in their weapons.  "We have enemies everywhere," she claims, "how are we going to defend ourselves now?"

Aissatou Sahada — mother of eleven, echoed Awa's sentiment, saying that "we women want peace, but it's not finished, they want to finish us", referring to anti-balaka militias whose rifle and grenade attacks on Muslim neighborhoods in Bangui have become a regular occurrence.

In front of them, a man arrives on a bicycle saying "I will not give my name, nor have my picture taken".  He then drops a grenade and a machete on the floor and leaves.  Another man sends his wife to deposit an old machine gun.

By one 1 o'clock over fifty grenades, several tens of machetes, hundreds of bullets, rifles, and bows and arrows had been deposited — along with a military beret, glass bottles, and a club.

"I love my country, I'm disarming"

On the other side of town in the Christian community of Bimbo, residents are less willing to give up their weapons — only two Kalashnikov bullets and an airsoft grenade were collected during Sunday's drive. Near the PK-5 quarter, in Bangui's 5th arrondissement, officials failed to collect even a single bullet.

In Boy-rabé, an anti-balaka stronghold, 3 grenades, 3 mortars, 3 rockets, 1 air rifle, and a knife were collected.  A man named Blondel comments:  "What do you expect?  Here people don't have weapons; the weapons are all in the PK-5.  Wearing a white t-shirt, he added "I love my country, and have given up my weapons voluntarily".

"They want us to disarm, and to take away our weapons, but if the others want to keep theirs, that's their problem" says Lawane Ismael, representative of the Atick Mosque in the PK-5.

On his tour of the city's neighborhoods, Finance Minister Rémy Yakoro notices the small number of seized arms.  Yet, on Saturday Prime Minister M. Nzapayéké claimed that firearms were "everywhere" in Bangui.

It's possible that the presence of the military and the lack of anonymity in the disarmament process might have kept some from turning in their arms.  But others suggest that people most likely held on to their weapons, because no financial incentive was offered in exchange.  "People need to be motivated with financial compensation, because they are hungry, and they bought their weapon", explained a representative at Bangui's 5th arrondissement's town hall.

The collected weapons will now be transferred to African Union (MISCA) and French Sangaris forces in charge of disarmament in CAR.

Article Translated by Matthew LaLime, Staff Intern with the Africa Program at the Wilson Center

Photo Credit:  DFID / Simon Davis