Former Central African Republic President François Bozizé, who had previously seized power in a 2003 coup before being ousted by rebels a decade later, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor. The judgment, delivered in the capital city of Bangui, was officially disclosed by the Ministry of Justice on Friday.
Bozizé, who had been living in exile, was sentenced in absentia alongside two of his sons and 20 other co-accused individuals, including prominent rebel leaders. The charges brought against them include “conspiracy” and “rebellion,” in addition to convictions for “undermining the internal security of the State” and “murder.” However, the judgment did not specify the crimes or the time frame in question.
The trial, presided over by Joachim Pessire, the First President of the Bangui Court of Appeal, marks a significant moment in the Central African Republic’s quest for justice and accountability.
François Bozizé, who is 76 years old, had been living as a refugee in Chad until March 2023 when he sought exile in Guinea-Bissau. He currently serves as the coordinator of the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), the primary rebel coalition formed in December 2020, which has been engaged in a guerrilla war in the northern region of the country.
Among those sentenced alongside Bozizé is Ali Darassa, the fugitive military leader of the Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC), a major component of the CPC.
The Central African Republic has been plagued by civil war since 2013 when a coalition of armed groups known as the Séléka, dominated by Muslims, overthrew François Bozizé. In response, Bozizé organized and armed anti-balaka militias, predominantly Christian and animist, in an attempt to regain power.
Although the conflict was exceptionally deadly in its early years, it has witnessed a significant reduction in intensity since 2018. The sentencing of Bozizé and his co-accused represents a significant step towards addressing the nation’s long-standing issues of conflict and instability.
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