00:01A landmark trial is set to begin in the Central African Republic where former President François
00:07Bozizzi will be tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity. The UN-backed Special
00:15Criminal Court alleges that members of Bozizzi's security forces committed murder, torture,
00:21rape and enforced disappearances between 2009 and 2013. Bozizzi, now 79 and living in exile
00:29in Guinea-Bissau, is accused of bearing responsibility as commander-in-chief and military leader. Three
00:36former senior military officers linked to the case are already in custody and will also face
00:42trial. The proceedings mark a major test for the Special Criminal Court, which was created
00:47to investigate war crimes and atrocities committed during years of conflict in the Central African
00:53Republic. Bozizzi's overthrow in 2013 triggered a brutal civil war that left thousands dead
01:00and saw both rebel and militia groups accused of serious human rights abuses.
Comments