Obo

History

Obo was named after the local Zande chief Ogbo, with the spelling changed slightly in later years. Ogbo ruled the territory between the Mbokou and Kamou rivers. However, a conflict emerged when nearby Chief Gougbéré annexed much of Ogbo's territory on the pretext that the inhabitants were from the same ethnic group as him. Ogbo petitioned Sultan Zémio, who was his first cousin once removed, to help, but the sultan did not intervene. Ogbo then asked French colonial captain Maurice Martin to mediate in 1910. Martin sided with Ogbo's land claims, but said that any new settlements should be allowed to remain. French military general Jean Baptiste Marchand passed through the area on his journey to find the source of the Nile. When he failed to find access to the river, the settlement became a cul-de-sac and he moved on in a different direction. On 24 May 2013, 40-80 Arrow Boys militias from South Sudan attacked Obo. The attack was foiled and 29 militias were captured. They were put into prison of Obo Gendarmerie and seven of them died on the first day of their imprisonment. On 9 May 2020 armed forces repelled an attack by the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic armed group on Obo, killing 11 militants. They repelled another attack on 18 May and another on 20 May, killing 12 militants. Between 26 and 27 July 2021, government forces repelled another attack on Obo by rebel groups affiliated with the Coalition of Patriots for Change. One Central African Armed Forces soldier was killed. With their town severely damaged by the attack, the residents of Obo organized a mass protest over MINUSCA's ineffectiveness at preventing violence in the area. Azande Ani Kpi Gbe attacked FACA military base in Obo on 5 April 2023 as a response to the arrest of its two members.…