Bangui, Central African Republic (Running Africa) – A United Nations-backed Special Criminal Court (SCC) in the Central African Republic has opened the trial in absentia of former President François Bozizé over allegations of crimes against humanity linked to abuses committed during his decade-long rule.
The proceedings, which began on June 16, 2026, focus on allegations that members of Bozizé’s Presidential Guard committed murder, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances in the town of Bossembele while he was in power.
Bozizé seized power in a 2003 coup and governed the Central African Republic for ten years before being ousted by Seleka rebels in 2013, a development that helped plunge the country into a prolonged civil conflict.
In 2024, the SCC issued an international arrest warrant for the former leader, citing what it described as substantial evidence linking him to the alleged crimes through his role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
However, Bozizé has been living in exile in Guinea-Bissau since March 2023, placing him beyond the reach of authorities seeking his extradition. The trial is therefore proceeding in his absence.
Three former senior military officers linked to the case, Eugene Barret Ngaikosset, Vianney Semndiro, and Firmin Junior Danboy, remain in detention and are awaiting separate proceedings before the court.
Following his removal from power, Bozizé became associated with the Anti-balaka movement and later emerged as a leading figure in the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an armed alliance that challenged the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in 2020.
His efforts to return to frontline politics were blocked in 2019 when the Constitutional Court ruled him ineligible to contest elections, citing concerns related to alleged criminal conduct.
The Special Criminal Court, composed of both national and international judges, was established to investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and serious human rights violations committed in the Central African Republic since 2003.
The trial marks one of the most significant accountability efforts in a country that has endured decades of political instability, armed conflict, and recurring violence.
