Central African Republic: UN expert urges State cooperation for execution of arrest warrant against ex-president François Bozize Yangouvonda

GENEVA (22 May 2024) – Prompt execution of the arrest warrant against former President François Bozize Yangouvonda is crucial to bring justice to the victims of his heinous crimes and serious human rights violations, a UN expert on human rights in the Central African Republic (CAR) said today.

On 30 April, the Special Criminal Court in the CAR issued an arrest warrant for the former President of CAR for crimes committed between February 2009 and March 2013 by his presidential guard and internal security services in the civilian prison and military training centre in the town of Bossembélé between 2009-2013.

“In the Central African Republic, all perpetrators and accomplices of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity will sooner or later answer before the courts,” said Yao Agbetse, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the CAR.

Bozizé is accused of the crimes of murder, enforced disappearance of persons, imprisonment, or other forms of deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental provisions of international law, and practices of torture and inhuman acts. The Court also listed crimes of rape or other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity and other inhuman acts of a similar nature intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to physical integrity or physical or mental health in the warrant.

"I appeal to Central African authorities to mobilise intelligence services, defence forces and internal security forces to execute the arrest warrant and call for the support of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in this regard,” Agbetse said.

He also called for collaboration from the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, where ex-president François Bozizé resides and cooperation from all neighbouring states of the CAR.

“I also urge the African Union, as the architect and guarantor of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (APPR-RCA in its French acronym), to mobilise its Peace and Security Council and call on the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to activate and intensify its actions with its partners, including AFRIPOL, to ensure that the suspect is brought before the court to answer for charges against him,” the expert said.

Agbetse also urged the UN Security Council which has placed Bozizé on its sanctions list, to provide support for the prompt execution of the arrest warrant against the former President.

He warned against the obstruction of the execution of the arrest warrant, whether national, sub-regional or international in origin, and by any entity whatsoever.

“It would be considered an obstacle to the fight against impunity, an attack on the peace and reconciliation process and a denial of justice for his victims,” Agbetse said.

“Any person or entity responsible for or complicit in such acts of obstruction would be considered an enemy of peace and reconciliation in CAR,” he said.

ENDS

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