UN-Backed Court Tries Former CAR President Francois Bozize

The Special Criminal Court in Bangui began the trial in absentia of Francois Bozize, the former President of the Central African Republic, on Tuesday, June 17, 2026. Bozize faces charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances carried out by his security forces between 2009 and 2013. The prosecution specifically focuses on atrocities committed by the Presidential Guard at a civilian prison and military training center in Bossembele.

Bozize, 79, has lived in exile in Guinea-Bissau since March 2023. Although an international arrest warrant exists, the government of Guinea-Bissau has refused to extradite him. Three former senior military officers—Eugene Barret Ngaikosset, Vianney Semndiro, and Firmin Junior Danboy—are co-defendants in the case and are currently held in pre-trial detention within the Central African Republic.

Bozize originally seized power in a 2003 coup and ruled until he was overthrown by the Seleka rebel coalition in 2013, an event that triggered years of sectarian violence. He has a previous legal record in the country, having received a life sentence for forced labor in September 2022 on charges of conspiracy, rebellion, and murder.