Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Pastor Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou & Imam Omar Kobine Layama

The Interfaith Peace Platform

The Rev. Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou
Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga
Imam Omar Kabine Layama

If one belief unites the three clerics behind the Interfaith Peace Platform, it is that religion is not the cause of the violence that has convulsed the Central African Republic over the past five years.

Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga, who became the youngest cardinal ever when he was elevated by Pope Francis in 2016, is leader of the country’s Catholics. His bond with Imam Omar Kabine Layama, president of the Islamic community, was forged after the capital, Bangui, first descended into chaos in 2013, and the Imam, under threat from anti-Muslim forces, sought refuge in the Cardinal’s home.

The two men began travelling together, working to restore peace, and were soon joined in their effort—forming the Interfaith Peace Platform—by the leader of the CAR’s Evangelicals, the Rev. Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou. Dubbed “the three saints of Bangui,” they have pushed for U.N. peacekeeping troops, and for grassroots dialogue among the citizens of the CAR. Instead of religion being manipulated as a source of strife, the Interfaith Peace Platform is making it a tool for peace: a way to identify mutual values that warring parties can live by.

Despite a recent resurgent of violence earlier this year, which they blame on foreign mercenaries, the clerics are pushing to try to rebuild the C.A.R.’s institutions and its infrastructure. “Our country is full of wealth in the basement,” says the Imam. “And there are among the armed groups a lot of highwaymen, many mercenaries who have infiltrated just to illegally pass these riches.” Communications is a major priority, he says, but they are still looking for funding for a radio station: “The Platform wants to have a voice, a radio, which can be heard all over the territory.”

When the trio launched their initiative, they created a chart with all the rules of how they would function. Responsibilities are shared—the permanent secretariat is handled by the Catholics, coordination of the programs by the Evangelicals, and finance by the Islamic community—and they strive for the kind of transparency that is essential to trust.

“When we started the Platform, we were three: Pastor, Imam, and me, and we met without much organization,” the Cardinal says. “Now we have disciples joining us, but it’s not guaranteed they’re all going in the right direction. We must constantly remind them that we are together to move towards a common vision.” They need to be in communication with each other, too. “If there is somebody from the Muslim community coming up to me, I would inform the Imam to make sure it doesn’t look like a conspiracy,” Pastor Nicolas says.

They treat each other with the equality and respect they seek to establish among citizens of the C.A.R. In a recent interview with the Tallberg Foundation, the Imam and the Cardinal expressed concern that the foundation also hear from their Evangelical partner, who was out of the country at the time. Similarly, when support is offered from one faith, it is used to benefit all. When a church in Switzerland asked Pastor Nicolas what they could do for the Christian community in Bangui, he told them, “It’s not just about the Christians, there are other people who are suffering in Central Africa. If you have the finances, let’s go and build houses. There are people who lost their houses.” About 50 houses were ultimately built, half of them for Muslims.

Like many great leaders before them, they realize that they won’t see the end of the mission. As Pastor Nicolas says, “I will continue as much as I can and then I will leave it to others to continue… It’s not the work of one generation. It will take several, maybe.”