Pope Francis closes Africa tour with poignant plea for unity at besieged

Pope Francis (R) sits next to Tidiani Moussa Naibi, Imam of the Koudoukou Mosque in Bangui, Central African Republic, November 30, 2015.

Muslim man was killed on the edge of a Christian-besieged enclave in the Central African Republic’s capital on Tuesday, a day after Pope Francis visited the area calling for peace and tolerance, community leaders and a human rights group said. He landed on a runway next to a sprawling camp for the internally displaced and then drove along a unsafe stretch of road in a Toyota SUV with the windows down, waving to thousands of joyous people.

While ecstatic crowds celebrated the pope’s visit and message of reconciliation, thousands of Muslims remained essentially blockaded in their neighborhood of PK5, unable to leave because of the armed Christian militia fighters who surround its perimeter. “We say to together especially no to hatred, revenge, violence, that which is perpetrated in the name of religion or in the name of God!”

The trip to the vehicle was the Pope’s first visit to a conflict zone and the final stop on his three-nation African tour that also took in Kenya and Uganda.

In extraordinary scenes before he held a papal mass at the capital’s Barthelemy Boganda stadium, a group of Muslim rebels from the PK5 area leapt out of two pickup trucks, all wearing T-shirts bearing the pope’s image.

In his statement, he said “Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters, we must, therefore, consider ourselves and conduct ourselves as such.” while speaking at a mosque in Bangui.

Several hundred people had packed into the mosque, including a number actually living there after being forced out of their homes by the violence.

On Monday, Redepouzou entered the stadium in his wheelchair decorated in the flags of Central African Republic and was approached by the pope as he made his way around the track inside. “If I may use a strong word I would say that we are at the limits of suicide”, he said.

Armed UN peacekeepers were positioned on the mosque’s minarets and a helicopter hovered overhead. Meanwhile, it is the only district in Bangui, where ever Muslims still live.

“We should eat together, we should live together with Muslims”, said Clarisse Mbai, a mother who lost all her possessions in inter-religious violence.

“I don’t like getting into questions or reflections that are so technical when people die because they don’t have water or food or housing”, he said. Pope Francis delivered medicines that were donated by a hospital in Rome.

One Muslim tweet in reply: “Why don’t you Christians convert to Islam?” while another said: “Well, if you had read the Quran, you would realise that Christ is a Prophet there as well”.

Central African Republic descended into conflict in 2013 when Muslim rebels overthrew the Christian president.

The popemobile rolled into the center of this country’s civil war on Monday, crossing the risky border between Christian and Muslim neighborhoods as Pope Francis launched what may be his boldest diplomatic effort yet.

On Sunday before holding mass, the Pope opened the door of Bangui’s cathedral, a symbol of welcome and openness to peace.