Africa: Those Who Disagreed with Violence were Killed
It was a most horrible, gruesome and unforgettable scene of punishment. People were dragging a wounded profusely bleeding man on the pavement. He was screaming with pain for his life. He had been shot and wounded and one person was hammering his head with a stone making sure his death. This was part of the country-wide violence, and rioting in Central African Republic and its capital city of Bangui. Among the dispassionate onlookers Dr.Divin was also a silent witness to the most inhuman torture.
Dr.Divin landed in Bangui to take charge of a hospital there, to reopen it and start treatment. Bloodshed and violence is not a new thing in this country and Dr.Divin has worked in a Burundi hospital for 10 years from 1993 when the country was in the grip of terrible tribal groups with war and violence. About 15 to 20 people were killed daily in the rioting.
Central African Republic became independent from France in 1962 and blood shedding and tribal violence started from that year itself. The country is as big as UP and Madhya Pradesh put together but population is not much. There were several rulers but only one was elected by the people. The others were heads of the army and they came to power because of their positions and with the support of the army.The violence became more acute and wide spread with the formation of Silica led by Muslims and it was against the president, and he was ousted. The Silica appointed its own president and he disbanded the existing army and formed new army.During this time terrorists from Sudan and Chad
entered the country. The tribal struggle and bloodshed broke out throughout the country. A terrorist organization called Anti Baleka dominated by majority Christians was formed. In 2000 December Violence 2000 people were killed in two days. The outside world then intervened and the president resigned. The Bangui Mayor Katherine Samba became the interim president but anarchy continues.
Dr.Divin came to Bangui to reopen the closed Amity hospital. Before the violence started, hospital was run with the help of Chinese. When the violence started on December 14 many armed Silicon rebels entered the hospital, several patients and hospital employees shot dead. So the hospital was again closed down. UN security guards were posted at the hospital. Dr.Divin contacted the staff of the hospital and arranged a meeting to discuss the situation. The staffs were not willing to work. After repeated discussions, the mindset of the staffs changed and agreed to again work in the hospital.Two weeks after the opening of hospital, the situation became very grave again because of the Muslims guerrilla fled to Cameroon and Chad. These Muslims were attacked by Anti Baleka terrorists. Though there were UN soldiers to protect the Muslims, but not effective. Firing was heard throughout the night and in the morning witnessed the dead bodies on the road. The situation became very obstreperous because the hospital was in the Christian dominated area and the hospital was filled with Muslims. There happened mass killing of Muslims by Christians and this made the staffs
panicky and they refused to work. Dr.Divin was in an awkward position. Without staff and equipment and at a great risk of his life he remained in the hospital helpless and hopeless. It was an unforgettable experience for him.
As the hospital was facing closure again discussions were started. Both sides then agreed that the hospital will treat any injured person without any bias, and nobody will enter the hospital with any weapon and there will be no firing at the hospital.
The most horrible thing was that those who disagreed with violence and bloodshed were killed mercilessly and that way nobody expressed any resentment. So the killing continued.
