Mindouli (Congo Brazzaville)
Br. Pierre Josse

The four African Brothers who make up the community in Mindouli (Congo Brazzaville) have had, once again, to abandon their school and community in order to take refuge in Cameroon because of further outbreaks of the civil war that have plagued the country for over thirty years.

Mindouli is a small town situated approximately 150 kilometres from the capital city of Brazzaville. The Bishop of the Diocese of Kinkala had requested the presence of Brothers to operate a Junior Seminary in the town of Mindouli, education being one of Bishop Milandou's priorities after a long period of neglect under the Marxist regime.

Some History:

1993: The Brothers of the Francophone sector of the Region of Africa agree to provide five Brothers who arrived in Mindouli on 8 September. Twenty-five students were enrolled and scheduled to begin classes on 8 November. However, a further occurrence of violence and warfare in Brazzaville made it impossible to open the school at that time. The school remained closed until the following year.

1994-97: A return to a more normal climate and a semblance of normality. A period of consolidation.

1997: 5 June, the civil war rekindles, with the former President leading a military coup that allows him to gain control of the government by 23 October. Thousands are killed and important buildings are ravaged. During this time the Brothers are dispersed with only one remaining at the Seminary in Mindouli, now transformed into a temporary refugee centre for the fleeing Bishop, priests, religious and some laity.

1998: Things slowly return to normal within a climate of some tension as the former militia remain ever present.

• 9 April: the community is under attack with the Brothers' automobile being stolen and destroyed.
• 8 October: the Bishop's residence is also under attack and ransacked. Priests and religious are forced to flee. The Brothers find refuge in a monastery some 50 kilometres to the west of Mindouli.
• 2 November: This monastery is now under attack and the Brothers are ordered to join all the priests and religious of the diocese in Brazaville. At the Bishop's request, all those who are not of Congolese origin are asked to leave the country until more favourable conditions prevail.
• For the present,Brothers Félix Kabata a native of Congo Kinshasa, Claude Rakotonirainy (Madagascar) and Pierre Célestin Ntakisanimana (Rwanda) have regrouped in Cameroon while Brother Jean-Baptiste Coulibaly has returned to Burkina Faso.

We ask that you keep these Brothers and the local Church of Congo Brazzaville in your prayers.

We also wish to inform you that Brother Pierre Josse, General Councillor, underwent an operation on his hip at St Charles's Hospital in Lyon (France). He will undergo a period of convalescence at the nearby Brothers' infirmary at Caluire. Our thanks to the Brothers of this community for welcoming him and providing good care.