Following the sound of megaphone in Yaloké
“Come to the Town Hall on Thursday 25 April at 10:00 and take part in an outreach activity with the ICC!” - the sound coming through megaphone can be heard all over Yaloké. Two days before our arrival, very early in the morning, a town crier walked through the neighbourhoods with the megaphone in his hands, announcing the visit of the mission of the International Criminal Court.
Yaloké was the final destination on our three-week long mission to the South-West of the Central African Republic. The plan was to visit four locations where some of the crimes have been allegedly committed in late 2013 and 2014, now part of the charges in the case of Alfred Yekatom and Patrice Ngaïssona.
Similar to the previous experiences in Boda, Berbérati, and Carnot, people in Yaloké were careful to believe the news the convoy is approaching. Fact checking with the town hall, in some cases even calling the main CAR Outreach office in Bangui, they were turning to the trustworthy source.
What was only a hint became the reality once the first cars entered the town. Following the sound of megaphone, and driving steadily at 30km/h, the convoy passed the market, moving towards the town hall. The ground was wet and rainwater was still flowing in the ditches by the side of the road. Small businesses were open and people came out to buy food for dinner. People were curious, some trying to take a peek through the tinted car windows and recognize the passengers, their efforts to no avail.
The convoy stopped in front of the town hall, a single-storey building, with yellow walls. Many town buildings share the similar, somewhat modern look.
The town hall was getting fuller by the minute. Some of the participants came by foot, others by motorbike, with four people sharing one two-wheeler. Soon, all was ready for the first information session with the local authorities, victims, and opinion leaders. After a few initial remarks introducing the Court’s mandate, questions started pouring in, about the outreach activities but also judicial process. Participants were curious to know what the next steps for the ICC Outreach team are, and how they can participate.
The mission was nearing its end, and we were getting ready to hit the road again. A quick look at the map says it will take between 5 and 6 hours to reach the office in Bangui. Better start moving.
