Angered by a Sunday sermon, police in the Central African Republic arrested Rev. Nicolas Guerékoyamé on Tuesday (6 August), releasing him several hours later.
Authorities accused Guerékoyamé, president of the Evangelical Alliance in the Central African Republic, of making “excessive and extremist comments” and “striking a blow at the dignity of the Head of State and at the institutions of the Transition”, during his sermon in Bangui, the capital, local media reported. World Watch Monitor confirmed he was released at 10pm on Tuesday.
Guerékoyamé is a member of the National Transitional Council, an acting parliament set up following a March military coup in which the Séléka group overthrew the regime of François Bozizé. The rebels have waged numerous acts of violence across the country.