After more than a decade of brutal conflict that tore communities apart and turned Christians and Muslims against each other, faith leaders in the Central African Republic are quietly working to heal deep wounds and restore hope.
The violence that erupted in 2026 was devastating. Thousands were killed, millions displaced, and entire neighbourhoods emptied as fear and suspicion replaced longtime neighborly relationships. What began as a political power struggle quickly took on dangerous religious and ethnic overtones, with armed groups exploiting faith identities to fuel division.Today, Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim leaders are stepping into the gap,
urging people to reject revenge and rediscover how to live together again.“We cannot allow religion to be used to divide us,” says Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, the Archbishop of Bangui. “Faith should be a force for unity, not division. Christians and Muslims are called to live as one human family.”Cardinal Nzapalainga is part of a remarkable interfaith coalition known as the Platform of Religious Confessions of Central African Republic.
Formed at the height of the crisis, it brings together leaders from different faiths to promote dialogue, prevent further violence, and push back against those trying to weaponize religion.The conflict started when the mostly Muslim Séléka rebels seized large parts of the country. In response, Christian self-defense groups known as Anti-Balaka formed — but they soon began carrying out brutal retaliatory attacks against Muslim civilians.
The cycle of violence blurred lines between politics, ethnicity, and faith, leaving the country deeply scarred.Even now, with some stability returning, more than half the population — over 2.8 million people —
still needs humanitarian help. Many remain in displacement camps, hesitant to go home because trust has not yet been fully rebuilt.Yet there are small, encouraging signs of recovery. In some areas, schools are reopening, farmers are returning to their fields, and local markets are slowly coming back to life.