Obo is the capital of
Haut-Mbomou, one of the 14
prefecture
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
s of the
Central African Republic. It is close to the
African Pole of Inaccessibility.
Poste Airport is located near the town.
History
Obo was named after the local
Zande chief Orbo, with the spelling changed slightly in later years. Orbo ruled the territory between the Mbokou and Kamou rivers. However, a conflict emerged when nearby Chief Gougbéré annexed much of Orbo's territory on the pretext that the inhabitants were from the same ethnic group as him. Orbo petitioned Sultan Zémio, who was his first cousin once removed, to help, but the sultan did not intervene. Orbo then asked French colonial captain Maurice Martin to mediate in 1910. Martin sided with Orbo'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.
The
Africa Inland Mission established a presence in the town in 1925, run by the Linquist family. It was one of a number of evangelical missions among the
Zande areas of
Ubangi-Shari and the
Belgian Congo.
On the night of 5 March 2008, Obo witnessed the first
LRA
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...
's attack. The group attacked the AIM neighborhood and abducted 73 residents.
Central African Republic Civil War (2012-present)
On 9 May 2020 armed forces repelled an attack by the
Union for Peace in the Central African Republic
Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC, french: Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique) is a rebel group in the Central African Republic which controls southern parts of the country.
History
UPC was formed on 17 September 2014 by Al ...
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.
[Centrafrique : Un mort dans une attaque des rebelles au sud-Est du pays](_blank)
27 July 2021 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.
Gallery
File:Obo Mission Main House.JPG, The Protestant mission at Obo, as seen from the rear.
File:Obo Mission Airfield, Central Africa Republic.JPG, Obo mission Airfield at the start of the dry season.
References
Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic
Populated places in Haut-Mbomou
{{CentralAfricanRepublic-geo-stub