View source for Obo

{{Other uses|OBO (disambiguation){{!}}OBO}}
{{Infobox settlement
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|leader_name            = Roger Sodji<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oubangui Medias |first1=Oubangui Medias |title=Centrafrique : Décrets portant nomination des Gouverneurs, des Préfets et des Sous-Préfets |url=https://oubanguimedias.com/2024/06/03/centrafrique-decrets-portant-nomination-des-gouverneurs-des-prefets-et-des-sous-prefets/ |website=oubanguimedias.com |publisher=Oubangui Medias |access-date=6 June 2024}}</ref>
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|leader_name1           = Mireille Ndosse<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mocky |first1=Aymard Gilles Quentin |title=Centrafrique: la maire d'Obo appelle les bélligérants à cesser les violences |url=https://www.radioguira.org/actualites/781 |website=radioguira.org |publisher=Radio Guira |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref>
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'''Obo''' is the capital of [[Haut-Mbomou]], one of the 20 [[Prefectures of the Central African Republic|prefecture]]s of the [[Central African Republic]]. It is close to the [[Pole of inaccessibility#Africa|African Pole of Inaccessibility]], the point of the continent furthest from the sea, about {{cvt|1,814|km}} from the coast.

== History ==
Obo was named after the local [[Zande people|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.<ref name="Dictionary2">{{cite book |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Richard |date=2016 |last2=Fandos-Rius |first2=Juan |title=Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic |edition=New |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=9780810879911 |pages=493, 498}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Dictionary2"/>

The [[Africa Inland Mission]] established a presence in the town in 1925 with the Linquist family, who came from Zemio. It was one of a number of evangelical missions among the [[Zande people|Zande]] areas of [[Ubangi-Shari]] and the [[Belgian Congo]].<ref name="Dictionary2"/>

On the night of 5 March 2008, Obo witnessed the first [[Lord's Resistance Army|LRA]]'s attack. The group attacked the AIM neighborhood and abducted 73 residents.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cakaj|first=Ledio|date=2015|editor-last1=Carayannis|editor-first1=Tatiana|editor-last2=Lombard|editor-first2=Louisa|title=Making Sense of the Central African Republic |publisher=Zed Books|pages=273|chapter=Chapter 12:In Unclaimed Land The Lord’s Resistance Army in CAR|isbn=}}</ref>

===Central African Republic Civil War (2012-present)===
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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schomerus|first1=Mareike|last2=Vries   |first2=Lotje de|date=2021|editor-last1=Gallien|editor-first1=Max|editor-last2=Weigand|editor-first2=Florian|title=The Routledge Handbook of Smuggling|pages=161|chapter=Chapter 12: Tall Tales and Borderline Cases|isbn=}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://letsunami.net/index.php/2020/05/10/obo-11-elements-de-lupc-dali-darass-abattus-et-plusieurs-blesses-suite-a-de-violents-affrontements-avec-les-faca/|title=Obo : 11 éléments de l'UPC d'Ali Darass abattus et plusieurs blessés suite à de violents affrontements avec les FACA|date=10 May 2020}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> They repelled another attack on 18 May<ref>{{cite web|url=https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/violent-combat-entre-faca-et-upc-a-obo-au-sud-est-de-la-republique-centrafricaine/|title=Violent combat entre FACA et UPC à Obo, au sud-est de la République centrafricaine|date=18 May 2020|publisher=CNC|access-date=3 October 2021|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525213910/https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/violent-combat-entre-faca-et-upc-a-obo-au-sud-est-de-la-republique-centrafricaine/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and another on 20 May, killing 12 militants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://centrafrique-presse.over-blog.com/2020/05/centrafrique-obo-les-faca-repoussent-une-nouvelle-attaque-de-l-upc.html|title=Centrafrique-Obo: Les FACA repoussent une nouvelle attaque de l'UPC|date=21 May 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref name="attack2">[https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/centrafrique-un-mort-dans-une-attaque-des-rebelles-au-sud-est-du-pays/ Centrafrique : Un mort dans une attaque des rebelles au sud-Est du pays] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727144116/https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/centrafrique-un-mort-dans-une-attaque-des-rebelles-au-sud-est-du-pays/ |date=2021-07-27 }}, 27 July 2021</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Central African Republic: Who is responsible for the attack in the South-East? |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/central-african-republic-who-is-responsible-for-the-attack-in-the-south-east/ |access-date=29 December 2021 |work=[[Vanguard (Nigeria)|Vanguard]] |date=10 August 2021}}</ref>

[[Azande Ani Kpi Gbe]] attacked FACA military base in Obo on 5 April 2023 as a response to the arrest of its two members. The attack lasted for twenty minutes and the militia withdrew from the city. They claimed that the attack was a warning to the government.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ndoumba |first1=Felix |title=Centrafrique : nouvelle attaque de la base de l’armée nationale à Obo |url=https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.org/centrafrique-nouvelle-attaque-de-la-base-de-larmee-nationale-a-obo/ |website=corbeaunews-centrafrique |publisher=Corbeaunews Centrafrique |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> On 13 August 2023, Azande Ani Kpi Gbe kidnapped a Muslim resident in the town, thus resulting in a clash between FACA and the militia. One Azande milia was wounded and at night, several shops in the town were burned.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Élie |first1=Mborifouefelle |title=Tension à Obo : retour des tirs assourdissants dans la ville, des boutiques incendiées |url=https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.org/tension-a-obo-retour-des-tirs-assourdissants-dans-la-ville/ |website=corbeaunews-centrafrique |publisher=Corbeaunews Centrafrique |access-date=15 August 2023}}</ref>

== Healthcare ==
The town hosts the only hospital in Haut Mbomou Prefecture, ''Hôpital Préfectoral de Obo''. Besides that, Obo has one health center run by the ''Centre Médicale Evangélique de Obo'', ex [[Africa Inland Mission|AIM]].

== Media ==
The town has one radio which is [[Radio Zereda]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=FREE PRESS UNLIMITED |first1=FREE PRESS UNLIMITED |title=Community radio station re-opened in Central African Republic |url=https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/community-radio-station-re-opened-central-african-republic |website=freepressunlimited.org |publisher=Free Press Unlimited |access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref>

== Transport ==
[[Poste Airport|The Poste Airport]] (now closed) is located near to the prefecture in town.<ref>[http://www.gcmap.com/airport/FEFB FEFB - Obo (Poste Airport), HM, CF - Airport - Great Circle Mapper]</ref> The current airport was constructed in the early 1980s by the Africa Inland Mission - AIM.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Obo Mission Main House.JPG|The Protestant mission (ex AIM) at Obo, as seen from the rear.
File:Dans le marché Lakouanga de Obo, chef-lieu de la préfecture du Haut-Mbomou, au sud-est de la République centrafricaine.jpg|Lakouanga Market
File:À Obo, au sud-est de la RCA.jpg|A motorcycle in Obo
File:Obo Mission Airfield, Central Africa Republic.JPG|The Obo Airfield (AIM) at the start of the dry season.
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic}}
{{Haut-Mbomou}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic]]
[[Category:Populated places in Haut-Mbomou]]