Nearly 200 residents from Zegonta and Ndongue gathered in the Bouar sub-prefecture on September 15, 2026, for a joint social cohesion campaign spearheaded by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) alongside local administrative leaders.
Located 25 and 42 kilometers from Bouar respectively, the two communities participated in targeted dialogue sessions aimed at defusing heightened rural tensions driven by recurring farmer-herder land disputes, criminal activity, and substance abuse among local youth. Led by Bouar Sub-Prefect Jean-Michel Bouaka, the sensitization mission addressed systemic agricultural friction, specifically field destruction caused by wandering livestock, while urging pastoralist representatives and farming communities to establish formal mediation channels rather than resorting to violent retaliation.
During discussions in Zegonta, pastoralist representatives committed to prioritizing peaceful dialogue and structured compensation mechanisms when crop damage occurs. Meanwhile, forum participants in Ndongue highlighted the proliferation of illicit substances, notably cannabis, and juvenile delinquency as primary catalysts undermining community safety and social cohesion. Addressing local leaders, MINUSCA official Martine Mbangue urged youth to reject violence and called on village chiefs to play a more proactive role in crime prevention. To institutionalize conflict management, the joint mission recommended founding local mediation committees, empowering village chiefs and mayors to lead dispute resolutions, and directing complex agricultural and pastoral grievances through formal administrative and technical services.
TE/lb/abj/APA