A UN-sponsored special tribunal has issued an international arrest warrant for former Central African president François Bozize, in an investigation into his responsibility for possible crimes against humanity committed by soldiers in prison between 2009 and 2013.
Françis Bozizé, 77, who seized power in a 2003 coup before being ousted by rebels 10 years later and now heads Central Africa’s main insurgency, has been exiled to Guinea-Bissau since March 2023.
The international warrant was issued on February 27, according to the press release of the Special Criminal Court (SCC), a hybrid jurisdiction composed of Central African and foreign judges in Bangui, responsible for the investigation and trial of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 2003. Central African Republic, a country that has experienced a series of civil wars and authoritarian regimes since its independence from France in 1960.
Serious clues
CPS magistrates issued this warrant as part of an “investigation” into possible “crimes against humanity” committed by Mr Bozizé’s presidential guard, between February 2009 and March 2013, at a “civilian prison” and “military training centre” in Bossembélé, in the center of the country.
The judges concluded that “the existence of serious and consistent evidence against” Mr. Bozizéa “probably leads to his criminal responsibility”, “in his capacity as a hierarchical superior and military leader”.
These alleged crimes, committed in Bossembélé prison and military camp by elements of Mr. Bozizé’s Praetorian Guard, as well as “other security services”, concern in particular “murders”, “enforced disappearances”, “torture”, “rape” and ” other inhumane acts,” states the SPC, created in 2015 under the auspices of the UN, which calls for the “cooperation of Guinea-Bissau, through Interpol” to “stop” and extradite the “suspects” to the CPS in the Central African Republic.
CPS spokesman Gervais Bodagay Laoulé, contacted by DW, believes that, “The judges have gathered compelling evidence. An arrest warrant has been issued and no country can back down from the fight against impunity for the perpetrators of serious crimes.” Click on the image to listen to his interview.
The ouster of Mr. Bozize in 2013 by a coalition of predominantly Muslim rebels, the Séléka, set off one of the worst civil wars in the history of the central African country, one of the world’s poorest, with massacres mostly of civilians.
Mr. Bozizé organized the creation of militias dominated by Christians and animists, the anti-balaka, to try to regain power, and thousands of civilians were the main victims of massacres committed by both camps.
In 2018, the UN accused the former Séléka and anti-balaka of numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity.
At the end of 2020 Bozizé took over as head of a new rebel alliance, the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), which threatened the power of President Faustin Archange Touadéra before Moscow sent hundreds of paramilitary units from the private company Wagner. they do not allow the authorities to push them away from Bangui.
The former president went into exile, in neighboring Chad, before Guinea-Bissau in March 2023.
On September 22, 2022, a court in Central Africa sentenced him to life hard labor, specifically for “conspiracy” and “rebellion” as the head of the KPK.
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