A UN-backed court in the Central African Republic on Tuesday opened the trial in absentia of former president François Bozizé on charges of crimes against humanity, over abuses allegedly committed by his security forces. The case is being heard by the Special Criminal Court, a hybrid tribunal in the capital, Bangui, that combines Central African and foreign judges.
Prosecutors allege that members of Bozizé's forces committed murder, enforced disappearance, torture and rape. The charges centre on abuses at a civilian prison and a military training centre in Bossembélé, a town northwest of Bangui, during the latter years of his rule.
Bozizé, who seized power in a 2003 coup and was overthrown a decade later by Séléka rebels, has been living in exile in Guinea-Bissau since March 2023. Because Guinea-Bissau has not handed him over, the court is proceeding in his absence — a route the tribunal can take when a defendant cannot be brought before it.
Three of his former senior military officers — Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset, Vianney Semndiro and Firmin Junior Danboy — are in pre-trial detention in the Central African Republic in connection with the same events. Their cases underline the court's focus on the chain of command behind the alleged abuses.
In opening the trial, judges said there was 'serious and consistent evidence against Bozizé, likely to incur his criminal liability, in his capacity as hierarchical superior and military leader.' The framing reflects the prosecution's argument that responsibility lies with those who directed and oversaw the security apparatus.
The Special Criminal Court was set up to investigate the most serious crimes committed during the Central African Republic's long cycles of conflict. It operates alongside the International Criminal Court, which has pursued separate cases arising from the country's violence, and represents a domestically rooted effort to deliver accountability.
Rights groups have long pressed for senior figures to face justice for atrocities in the Central African Republic, where successive armed conflicts have displaced large numbers of civilians. The Bozizé proceedings, even conducted in absentia, are being closely watched as a test of the court's reach over former heads of state.
Whether any verdict can be enforced remains uncertain while Bozizé stays beyond the court's physical jurisdiction, but prosecutors have said establishing the record of what happened is itself a central purpose of the trial.