Finalists for the 2026 United Nations Secretary-General’s Awards in the category “Protection of Civilians and Respect for International Humanitarian Law,” Jean Paul Gervais Golopaye, Placide Hilaire Yamande, and Brice Paulin Ngamakette share much more than a prestigious nomination. They share a common calling: to listen to local communities and contribute, day after day, to building peace in the heart of Haute-Kotto, in the Fertit region. Their names may not be familiar to the wider public. Yet, on the ground, they are among the most recognizable faces of MINUSCA. Community Liaison Assistants (CLAs), Jean Paul Gervais Golopaye has devoted 14 years to the Mission, while Placide Hilaire Yamande and Brice Paulin Ngamakette have each served MINUSCA for the past eight years
Their work is not measured in office hours, but in the kilometers, they cover, the dialogues they facilitate, and the tensions they help defuse. Tireless, they have made the protection of civilians their mission. They establish and coordinate community-based early warning networks, facilitate dialogue among communities, local authorities, and MINUSCA, support initiatives to promote social cohesion, and build the capacity of local actors in mediation and peaceful coexistence.
But beyond the projects themselves, it is the people who leave the deepest impression on them. Halfway through the year, when asked what has made the greatest impression on them in their work, the three colleagues first mention human resilience. “What moves me the most is the dignity and resilience of the people, who continue to hope for a better future despite the many difficulties they face,” says Jean Paul Gervais Golopaye.
Brice Paulin Ngamakette also notes this ability to look toward the future when he speaks of “the hope for a better future despite the difficulties and a shared aspiration for living together as a community. Taking a more analytical approach, Placide Hilaire Yamande emphasizes that “despite the ethnic or religious exploitation of conflicts, people deeply yearn for peace, aware that their survival depends on their socioeconomic interdependence.” This close connection with the communities also gives them a nuanced understanding of how the local population perceives MINUSCA. “Our interlocutors are generally optimistic and view the Mission in a positive light,” explains Brice Paulin Ngamakette. “Given MINUSCA’s multidimensional support to the stabilization of the Central African Republic, they would like to see the MINUSCA continue its mandate.”
These high expectations, sometimes exceptionally high, also underscore the persistent challenges confronting public institutions. “Given the fragility of the state and the limited presence of certain institutions in the regions and villages, people often turn to MINUSCA and have increasingly high expectations,” observes Placide Hilaire Yamande.
So, what would success look like? For Jean Paul Gervais Golopaye, it will be achieved “when communities live in lasting peace, resolve their disputes through dialogue, and have full confidence in state institutions to meet their needs.” Brice Paulin Ngamakette shares this same aspiration for a lasting and sustainable peace throughout the Central African Republic. As for Placide Hilaire Yamande, he believes that “the success of our mission will be measured by the State’s ability to fully exercise its sovereign functions, ensure the security of its population, uphold fundamental rights, and guarantee the continuity of essential public services.”
Through their journeys, their convictions and their daily commitment, these three peacebuilders embody the very spirit of United Nations service: standing alongside communities until the day they no longer need protection, because peace has become the norm.
Their true reward, however, is already evident in the hope that they will help bring about a revival within the communities they serve. The Secretary-General’s Award is within reach.
