Youssouf
Atteyipe
Youssouf Atteyipe profile's picture
Central African Republic

Nous nous souvenons de Youssouf Atteyipe

Youssouf Atteyipe was born on 11 October 1975 in Ndélé, Central African Republic. He went to primary school in his hometown from 1981 to 1989 and graduated from Boganda high school in the capital Bangui in 2002. He then worked as a driver for various organizations: Solidarité Darfour (2006–2008), Première Urgence (2010), and the Danish Refugee Council (2011). In February 2013 Youssouf was taken on as a driver at the ICRC’s Bangui delegation where he quickly made his mark. His colleagues appreciated his professionalism – he took excellent care of the vehicles, adhered closely to all transport and safety regulations, and was punctual and well-organized. He was also easy to work with, effortlessly making friends wherever he went. And when you became Youssouf’s friend, you were a friend for life.

 

Cheerful, confident and respectful of others, he was in many ways a model employee – the perfect workmate. In only his second year with the ICRC, Youssouf – dubbed “AT” by his colleagues – was elected to serve as a staff representative. His empathetic nature and sensitivity to others, including their cultural, social and religious differences, no doubt played a part. These “people skills”, allied to his ability to converse in several languages – he spoke Sango, Runga, Arabic and French – also served him well in his interactions with armed groups and those affected by their violence.

 

On 4 November 2017, Youssouf was driving an ICRC Land Cruiser between Ndélé and the Kaga-Bandoro subdelegation. He had an ICRC lorry ahead of him. On a stretch of road between Grevaï and Azené, a few kilometres outside Azené, an armed man stepped out and fired at the Land Cruiser. Other armed men then appeared. The ICRC lorry driver, seeing what happened, turned his vehicle around and came back. He found Youssouf dead from a gunshot wound and the vehicle looted. Youssouf was 42 years old and left behind a wife and nine children.

 

Youssouf was a family man who was loved by many and who believed deeply in the ICRC’s humanitarian principles. His memory will live on through the many people he graced with his friendship and those who benefited from his work.

Le CICR en
Central African Republic, 2017

The ICRC first began working in the Central African Republic in 1983, and we opened a delegation in Bangui in 2007. In 2017, we provided a broad range of humanitarian services – at times in conjunction with the Central African Red Cross Society – despite the lack of security in the country; indeed, numerous humanitarian workers, including Youssouf, fell victim to attacks. As in previous years, we supported hospitals and other health-care facilities, particularly in areas affected by violence. At four different centres, ICRC-trained counsellors provided psychosocial support to victims of sexual violence. Thanks to our emergency assistance, tens of thousands of displaced people received food and temporary shelter. We also equipped nearly 140,000 people with items such as seeds and tools so that they could resume their livelihoods; we bolstered these efforts through various cash-for-work projects.

 

Close to a million people enjoyed an improved water supply thanks to ICRC-backed infrastructure upgrades, newly constructed water points and sanitation facilities, and water-trucking activities. Our delegates held confidential discussions with authorities and weapon bearers to remind them of their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly in terms of protecting civilians and safeguarding their access to medical care and humanitarian aid. They also visited hundreds of detainees held by the warring parties, communicating their findings and recommendations to the authorities. Together with the National Society, we worked to reunite families separated by conflict, and we helped minors formerly associated with armed groups return to their families. We also worked with National Society members to deliver first-aid training in local communities and raise awareness of our principles and our work. We helped shore up the National Society’s activities in general through material, financial and technical support.

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