A Pathway for Peace in Ngaoundaye
The town of Ngaoundaye is not easy to reach.
In the north of the Central African Republic, near the borders of Chad and Cameroon, the roads leading there are difficult to use, especially during the rainy season. For over twenty years, there have been no major repairs on these roads, a decline that began when cotton farming faded from the area and with it, the regular upkeep once provided by the cotton marketing company.
More disruptive still are the landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) placed as part of the conflict between the army and a coalition of armed groups, potentially destructive explosives symbolic of the hazardous mix of forces at work in this region of CAR. Political power play, military extortion, complicated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) processes in which members of armed forces and groups are supported to lay down their weapons and return to civilian life; all this combines to create instability and insecurity.
Yet, in the third week of July 2025, nearly 100 participants came together — people from Bangui, Paoua, and surrounding sub-prefectures of Mann, Ndim and Ngaoundaye itself - farmers, herders, youth, women, NGOs working on the ground, and local authorities, including a visiting delegation from Chad, led by the mayor of Bitoye. They all took the journey to Ngaoundaye, to attend a Peace Conference and work towards a different future, one shaped by dialogue and collaboration.
The peace conference came at a time of increased tension and suffering. Since the start of the transhumance season in December 2024, communities across the sub-prefectures of Mann, Ndim, and Ngaoundaye have experienced a rise in violence — from Fulani women being prevented from selling their milk and cheese and discriminated against at water points and pharmacies, through to an increase in sexual assaults, fields destruction, cattle theft, wounds by gunfire and traditional weapons, and killings (including beheadings). Entire villages have been affected; one set on fire. Ngaoundaye Hospital recorded an increased number of victims of violence and gender-based abuse.
The communities needed to come together. That they were willing to, was a result of investment by the Concordis team of time in building relationships with all parties. Which meant that at the conference in Ngaoundaye, our team could act as mediators, demonstrating a commitment to ensuring the voices of all effected groups were heard.
At the conference, discussions were not always easy, but they created space for honesty and mutual understanding, and by the end, communities had laid the groundwork for a shared action plan to tackle several of the core drivers of conflict in the region.
Participants recognised that cattle rustling is a major driver of insecurity, but a securitised solution alone won’t solve the issue, especially given the constraints on the CAR security services. Livestock theft will continue as long as there is a market for stolen cattle.
Herders are often the victims of this crime and settled communities bear the force of the reprisal attacks, yet they both came to recognise the role they need to play in eliminating this trade. The local authorities agreed to issue a decree, banning the clandestine purchase of cattle for resale, and herders agreed to sell cattle only in official markets, as designated by the authorities. Farming communities agreed to prevent members of their community from engaging in cattle rustling, but also that they will only buy meat from approved sources.
International NGOs present agreed to support this mutually beneficial process by helping to build cattle parks at local markets. These help to keep cattle safe, prevent destruction of crops and encourage herder and farmer groups alike to use authorised markets rather than resorting to clandestine buying and selling. The building process can also generate employment for local youth, which generates livelihoods and ensures their buy-in.
Moving forward, it is clear that day-to-day economic ties between farmers and herders offer a link that strengthens the social fabric. As they cross borders to Bitoye in Chad and Mbaiboum in Cameroon to trade goods — selling crops and buying essentials products (such as sugar, tea, coffee, soap and salt) - they sustain livelihoods and preserve threads of interdependence between communities.
Cross-border cooperation between political, administrative and military authorities from the Central African Republic, Chad, and Cameroon is emerging. This collaboration will strengthen border security and enable the safer movement of people and goods across the region, helping reduce the security risks posed by the many informal entry points used by herders. New, clearly marked cattle movement corridors will help prevent misunderstandings and the resulting violence. Authorities will define seasonal cattle movement conditions and establish policies, ensuring better coordination for the safe movement of cattle across all three countries.
This conference culminated in a powerful moment of shared responsibility. Representatives of each group — local authorities, herders, and farmers — formally committed to a set of practical actions aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence. These acts of engagement set the foundation of a plan that could turn dialogue into lasting change and development in each of these communities. Our investment in this still fragile process will continue.