Senegalese soldiers from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) – known by its French acronym, MINUSCA – are immediately deployed to confront the attackers.
“The fighting lasted several hours in extremely difficult conditions,” recalls Lieutenant Colonel Gérald Aranda Assine, commander of the Senegalese contingent. “It was extremely demanding psychologically, physically, mentally and morally.”
The blue helmets, part of a Quick Reaction Force ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, helped the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) push back the rebels, preventing them from taking Zémio and allowing the elections to go ahead as planned.
UN peacekeepers on patrol in the Central African Republic
“Our soldiers held their positions,” says Lieutenant Colonel Assine. “At the same time, they managed to protect the places where the refugees were gathered.”
From the battlefield to the football field
Working as a blue helmet involves much more than military intervention. Duties can range from providing free medical assistance to conducting patrols and holding meetings with community leaders.
In the west of the country, where the armed group “Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation” (3R) agreed to disarm in 2025, peacekeepers are rebuilding ties between people divided by years of fighting.
Former combatants from the 3R and the official army, as well as civilians, participate in community activities, even playing a soccer game together, something that would have seemed unthinkable just a few months before.
A toll on mental health
The stark contrast between the demands placed on peacekeepers means that close attention must be paid to their well-being and mental health.
Lieutenant Colonel Assine explains that this means regular sporting and cultural activities and maintaining strong ties with their families, even when they are stationed in the most remote areas.
“Looking at your children and then smiling, showing them that everything is okay, despite the difficult environment you are in, is extremely important,” he says.
Security provided by peacekeepers in Central African Republic allows schools to remain open
‘Now I know I’ll be safe’
The encounters with the local population give a human face to the soldiers’ mission.
Lieutenant Colonel Assine spoke with a former child soldier who managed to escape from an area controlled by armed groups.
“Since the Quick Reaction Force is there, I know that my life will not be in danger,” the boy told him. “Now I know I will be safe.”
Thanks to the work of MINUSCA, schools in Zémio have reopened and medical campaigns have resumed. Residents who fled the violence are returning and, with the mission’s support, the young man will be able to return to school.
For the military commander, this type of moment gives the mission its full meaning.
A single aspiration: the definitive return of peace
Beyond the intensity of the military operations, it is the bravery of the Central African people that will remain engraved in their memory.
“I will take with me the courage and resistance of these people who agreed to welcome the rebels who, not long ago, were their executioners,” he says. “They only have one aspiration: the definitive return of peace.”
As they prepare to leave the Central African Republic, the commander hopes that the population will remember a contingent that sought to do more than simply ensure a safe environment.
“The protection of civilians has really been at the center of our actions,” he declares. “There is no nobler mission than being a soldier at the service of peace, a soldier of the United Nations.”