Dangerous paths and Narrow escapes

Last week entailed a lot of travel to the field including an area in dispute among three different armed factions of the MFDC.  The precarious dominion over this area has translated to the lack of discipline among the men operating in this zone.  Highway robberies are commonplace.  This, despite the fact that there are military sentries along literally every kilometer of road (every half mile or so).  I promise to post films to give you an an idea of the open fields and heavily forested patches you can find while traveling between villages.

We returned Friday evening from a long trip to two communities whose rural populations live with the tensions between the competing factions everyday.  They were a good series of meetings.  After an initial chilling reception, the debate heated up quickly and everyone seemed interested in being heard.  Neighborhoods and villages have been organizing themselves in the past two years to form neighborhood associations with the capacity to pressure the local authorities for action in addressing anything from development to education.  We are seeking to add a "road map to peace" to that list.  These communities are rarely ever consulted on the issues concerning the conflict; however, they clearly offer a unique perspective on how issues have been dealt with in the past at the local level to keep life bearable and they may have ideas - with the clandestine contribution of local rebels - of how these may be reflected on a regional and national scale when negotiations take place. The trip to the area was uneventful.  Aside from very greasy rice, I experienced no other assault on my person during that visit.   

The persons traveling along that same stretch of road the next morning were not so lucky. 

One of my colleagues reported that highway bandits appeared on the road out of nowhere and managed to hijack a large fuel container truck and a small station wagon full of passengers.  Highway robberies will increase as we get closer to Christmas, as people return to their villages with money and gifts.  The truck driver was taken hostage temporarily but everyone was allowed to leave the scene unharmed but without their belongings.  Not two hours after the incident ended, the Senegalese army intervened.  A heavy exchange of light and support weapons could be seen and heard if you, like my colleague, were in one of the many vehicles waiting at the roadblocks that the military had established to keep civilians out of the theater of operations.

I am thankful that everyone in that group of vehicles kept their heads and allowed the bandits to take what they came for and leave.  Lives are still valued here.  In conflicts past and present in parts of West and Central Africa, I would not be able to make such a claim.

As we round the corner of our first phase of activities and rev up for to a very busy January, I look forward to seeing how Christmas is celebrated in this largely Catholic region of Senegal.  I also pray for mercy and compassion among those who are thinking about spending it wielding weapons of war.