The Priest who Saved Thousands of Lives

During the recent violence in the Central African Republic up to a quarter of the population were forced to flee from their homes. The country has been in turmoil since fighting broke out between the mostly Muslim Seleka militia and the largely Christian Anti- Balaka.

For the last four years a Roman Catholic priest called Father Bernard Kinvi has been running a hospital in Bossemptele in the North west of the country. When the violence broke out Father Bernard repeatedly risked his own life to protect thousands of Muslims and he has just been awarded a prestigious human rights award for his work.

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(Image: Father Bernard Kinvi, a Catholic priest in Bossemptele, Central African Republic. Credit: Peter Bouckaert/Human Rights Watch)