February 14, 2020. It is 9:50 pm in Obo. As the locals prepared to close their doors to take advantage of the night, a concert of vehicle horns, motorcycles and cries of joy, and of hope, broke the silence of the night.
As a UN Force tank opened the peloton, citizens wondered, " Is this the usual MINUSCA patrol ? Pui appeared in a convoy of 4X4 trucks in national colors: it was the arrival by land of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) in Obo. A detachment which will replace the one deployed a year ago by air, thanks to the support of MINUSCA. An event that confirms the return of state authority to their Haut Mbomou prefecture.
Long subject to rumors of attacks by armed groups, this return by land will restore confidence in the population who no longer believed in it. MINUSCA then organized community awareness sessions to put an end to the false rumors that were circulating.
Since the signing of the Political Peace Agreement a year ago, armed groups have multiplied abuses in Haut Mbomou, in violation of the latter, particularly in Bambouti on October 17, 2019. The permanent presence of the FACA in Obo constitutes a reason for hope of peace and protection for the population who are waiting to see the new elements in action.