While riding down the roads in the northwestern region of the Central African Republic (CAR), I felt like a celebrity. Children repeatedly rushed out of their homes when they heard our pickup truck rumbling through the dusty, bumpy roads and drowned us in a chorus of “Bonjours” and “Baraallahs” (the local greetings in CAR), while waving fervently. Hours into our drive and after passing several villages it became clear that the joy that the children and even some adults expressed went beyond simply wishing us a safe journey They were expressing genuine appreciation for our presence in their community. The Refugees International [1] flag, hoisted on the top of the truck, was seen by the community as a sign of good to come.
The people of Northern CAR have been displaced for much of this past decade as a result of protracted political unrest. Besides overwhelming neglect from the national government, the situation in northern CAR was largely overlooked by the international community. It wasn’t until after an RI mission highlighting the hundreds of thousands displaced people, that the number of aid agencies in this region, rose from 5 to 19 in 2007.
[2]
Until then, Central Africans in the northwest have heard trucks roll through their villages only to be caught in the middle of government and rebel cross fighting. They have even had their homes looted and burned by the national army for “supporting” military factions that have occupied and taken control of their villages. For years, the rumbling of trucks has been an ominous sign to gather family and belongings as quickly as possible because trouble was sure to follow.
In the last year, the rumbling of trucks has taken on new meaning. Besides enduring the consequences of active conflict, the CAR has suffered from decades of underdevelopment and access to basic services has been virtually nonexistent. As aid agencies have begun to set up in CAR, their trucks have brought life saving assistance to communities in great need. Clean water, food and healthcare are now becoming increasingly accessible to communities that had previously took to hiding in the bush to avoid danger near the main roads.
It is for this reason that funding for CAR must at the very least maintain its current level and not decrease in the next year. There has been relative improvement in the security situation within the past few months and civilians are looking forward to returning home. The change in the humanitarian situation in CAR has been felt and recognized by all members of the community- even children. Now is not the time to turn our backs on CAR and let it slip back into obscurity.
--Limnyuy Konglim