In November of 2013, as Central African Republic descended into sectarian violence following months of political instability, French photographer William Daniels, on assignment for TIME, “passed through funerals, refugee camps and bands of men with guns.” His pictures showed a country in chaos, as hundreds of people were killed in just a few days, forcing France and other African nations to commit troops to restore law and order.
In the 28 months that followed, Daniels returned to Central African Republic 10 times. There, he has captured the slow process towards a May 2015 peace agreement, the Pope’s visit last November and the aftermath of its presidential elections in February. Work from his most recent trip is presented here.
Now, Daniels is bringing all of this work together for the first time in a New York City exhibition opening on April 8.
“I’ve shown parts of it before, but I’ve never showed all of it,” he tells TIME. “And I wanted to do it in New York because that’s where the United Nations is and because, outside of TIME, Al-Jazeera America, Foreign Policy and the Washington Post, the U.S. never really paid attention to what happened there.”
Daniels partnered with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) for the show, with the goal of shoring up awareness that the humanitarian situation in Central African Republic remains dire. For Phil Zabriskie, MSF’s editorial director for the U.S., the lack of news coverage of the ongoing crisis could be due to the country’s hyper-literal name or “its location next to larger and better-known neighbors,” he says. It is only with a visit by a figure like the Pope or Samantha Power, he notes, that CAR is able to break into the headlines.
“We felt that staging an exhibition of his work on CAR very much fit with our avowed commitment to bear witness to the events and dynamics our staff see on the ground,” Zabriskie adds. “It gives us a chance to talk about CAR and both amplify the content and—one hopes—the impact of William’s work and our own.”
Central African Republic: Uncertain Tomorrow runs from April 8-30 at 60 Water Street in Brooklyn. A webcast with Daniels and award-winning novelist Dinaw Mengestu will be held on April 6. An artist reception is open to the public on April 7 from 6pm.
A boy washes his clothes in a river near Maboussou village, in Central African Republic.William Daniels—PanosThe Ngakobo camp for internally displaced people, seen after a storm. More than 16,000 Christians live in the camp after fleeing their homes during the sectarian fighting.William Daniels—PanosA blind fisherman in Bankoudou, a village along the Oubangui river. Many people, especially in fisherman families, suffer from blindness caused by a parasite carried by flies.William Daniels—PanosThis clinic in Zemio, which is run by protestant missionaries, is the only place in eastern Central African Republic with an operating room. A woman rests after eye surgery.William Daniels—PanosA school in Yombo.
Central African Republic. More than one third of all children never go to school in the country.William Daniels—PanosDaniel Guimiyessi was treated by a team of Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors for tuberculosis at a hospital in Zemio, Central African Republic, before being dispatched to a clinic ran by protestant missionaries. He developed pneumonia—the focus of his current treatment.William Daniels—PanosA church in Danga, Central African Republic, minutes before a Sunday mass.William Daniels—PanosArchbishop of Bangui, Monseigneur Dieudonné Nzapalainga blesses members of the Anti-balakas forces in Zawara, Central African Republic, urging them to abandon violence.William Daniels—PanosTo celebrate the presidential and parliament elections, a man dances during a traditional gathering in Zemio, Central African Republic.William Daniels—PanosA man walks on a path outside the village of Zawara, situated on the Oubangui River about 24 miles east of Bangui, Central African Republic. Though relatively close to the capital, Zawara is nonetheless isolated due to a lack of roads and transport options.William Daniels—PanosMen are loading a truck with cows in Bambari, Central African Republic. Around 200 to 800 cows are sent to Bangui every week and ex-Seleka leader Ali Daras collects a "tax" of $30 on each cow to provide security.William Daniels—PanosA man carries coffee on his bicycle to sell in Ngakaobo, Central African Republic.William Daniels—PanosBecause of a wind storm on the Oubangui river, a boat carrying goods and cows had to stop.William Daniels—PanosA fisherman on the Oubangui river.William Daniels—PanosA building seen from the Oubangui river.William Daniels—PanosMen crossing the Oubangui river to Congo, in Zemio, Central African Republic.William Daniels—PanosA field of sugar cane in Ngakobo, Central African Republic.William Daniels—PanosA worker in a cane field in Ngakobo, eastern Central African Republic. The field is owned by SUCAF, one of the last 25 large companies in CAR.William Daniels—PanosAround 500 houses belonging to Christians were burnt and abandoned in Bambari, Central African Republic, during two years of violence.William Daniels—PanosThe Catholic church of Galabourouma was burnt on Nov. 30, 2015.William Daniels—PanosThe Ngakobo camp for internally displaced people, seen after a storm. More than 16,000 Christians live in the camp after fleeing their homes during the sectarian fighting.William Daniels—PanosA former Muslim neighborhood in Bangui, Central African Republic, where every house was destroyed during two years of fighting.William Daniels—PanosWomen collect coffee grain in a field that was burnt in Feb. 2016, apparently by a Muslim nomad tribe.William Daniels—Panosa woman complains about eyes healthcare in Ngakobo IDP camp where 16 000 christian live. They left their home because of violence between ex Seleka and antibalaka militias.William Daniels—Panos
