Fr Crépin Martial Monga, vicar of the Catholic parish of St John the Baptist in Zémio, in southeastern Central African Republic (CAR), was killed on Monday, 29 June 2026. Zémio is known as a particularly dangerous area in an already unstable country, where several armed groups have been active for the past three decades, and where a full-scale revolt against the government began in May of 2025. Armed men allegedly gunned down the priest during the evening. Details of the killing remain scarce, but sources on the ground tell the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that there is no doubt that the murder was entirely intentional and not an accident.
The dedication of Fr Crépin to refugees and conflict mediation
Bishop Aurelio Gazzera of Bangassou, an ACN project partner who has 35 years of experience as a missionary in the CAR, lauded the vicar’s long-standing commitment to peace and reconciliation across the area:
“At some points he and the parish cared for more than 3,000 refugees at the mission. This work was very important. In addition to this, he maintained many contacts with various rebel leaders and the authorities, always striving to mediate and find resolutions for the conflicts”.
Because of these targeted diplomatic efforts, some within the diocese strongly believe that the priest may have been murdered precisely as a consequence of his peacemaking initiatives.
Perilous recovery operation and profound local mourning
The local bishop explained that recovering the priest’s body involved a highly difficult and perilous operation, given the broken terrain and the heavy presence of armed fighters throughout the region. However, the local population braved the unstable environment to show their respect:
“The roads are in a terrible state, and very dangerous. I was very moved by the fact that as we were transporting his remains crowds of people gathered along the road to bid him farewell and pay their respects. These were deeply moving scenes that reflected the affection and respect the local people felt for him. There were also huge crowds at the funeral”.
In his address to the grieving community, Bishop Gazzera emphasized the spiritual necessity of continuing the pastoral mission, refusing to let fear stop their work:
“There is a fear of losing heart, of letting all the good work grind to a halt, but this morning I told the community and my priests that this seed which falls and dies bears fruit, and that we must not lose heart; we must not, we must not allow this sacrifice to be in vain, we must continue with what he began”.
