UBS translation chief held up by fighting in Central Africa

READING, England — Dr Phil Noss, the United Bible Societies’ Translation Services Coordinator, has returned safely to Reading after becoming trapped in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, when fighting broke out between rebels and government troops. The staff of the Bible Society in the Central African Republic are also safe.

Dr Noss was running a workshop for translators working on the Sango Old Testament translation. As the workshop came to an end on October 25, the participants heard gunfire and learned that fighting had broken out between government soldiers and rebels loyal to a former army chief, François Bozizé.

The fighting forced Marie-Paxcède Mornadji-Bobal, Acting Director of the Bible Society, and her husband to leave their home.

Meanwhile, Dr Noss returned to the Roman Catholic mission where he was staying. Just over a week later, the US embassy was able to arrange for him to leave the country on a C-130 Hercules military aircraft. He flew initially to Yaoundé and finally reached London on November 3.