Key facts
- A UN-backed court in the Central African Republic has opened the trial of former President François Bozizé.
- Bozizé faces charges of crimes against humanity for alleged abuses by his security forces from 2009-2013.
- The trial is being held in absentia as Bozizé lives in exile and Guinea-Bissau has refused extradition.
- Three former military officials are also on trial.
- The Special Criminal Court was created in 2015 with UN support to prosecute serious crimes.
A U.N.-backed court in the Central African Republic commenced the trial of former President François Bozizé on Tuesday, accusing him of crimes against humanity for alleged abuses committed by his security forces between 2009 and 2013. This marks the sixth trial by the Special Criminal Court, a tribunal established in 2015 with U.N. support to address serious crimes during the nation's conflicts.
The case focuses on abuses at a prison and military training center in Bossembélé, northwest of the capital, Bangui. Prosecutors contend that Bozizé, as a military commander, bears responsibility for acts including murder, enforced disappearance, torture, rape, and other inhumane acts perpetrated by his presidential guard and other security forces.
Bozizé, 79, is being tried in absentia, having lived in exile in Guinea-Bissau since 2023. Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have refused to extradite him, despite an international arrest warrant issued by the court in 2024. Three former military officials—Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset, Vianney Semndiro, and Firmin Junior Danboy—are also on trial and are expected to be present.
Bozizé initially seized power in a 2003 coup and ruled until 2013, when he was overthrown by the Seleka rebel coalition. His ouster led to years of sectarian violence between Seleka fighters and Anti-balaka militias, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths. A peace agreement signed in 2019 has been undermined by the withdrawal of six of the fourteen participating armed groups, and violence persists between government forces, allied militias, and rebels.
Maximin Lin Crozon Cazin, who claims to have been detained and tortured at Bossembélé during Bozizé's tenure, expressed disappointment at the former president's absence, stating, "It is unfortunate that François Bozizé does not have the courage to face justice in his own country." Cazin hopes the trial will establish truth and provide reparations.
Bozizé's lawyer, Marie Edith Douzima-Lawson, declined to comment on the proceedings, asserting that the defense possesses "solid arguments."
The Central African Republic is among the world's poorest nations, with one-third of its population living on less than $2 per day, despite possessing significant gold reserves. The country has also been a site of early activity for the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which currently provides security for President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and engages in combat against rebel groups.