Central African Republic: Exiled former president Bozizé sentenced to life in prison
François Bozizé, the exiled former president of the Central African Republic who later led a rebellion, was found guilty of conspiracy and rebellion and was given a life sentence of forced labor, according to authorities on Friday.
Bozizé, 76, is the leader of the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of rebel organizations founded in December 2020. He was living in exile in Chad until March, at which point he relocated to Guinea-Bissau.
According to a ruling sent to AFP by the justice ministry, the former president, who took over in the CAR in 2003 but was overthrown a decade later, was sentenced on Thursday.
Twenty additional defendants, including rebel leaders, and two of Bozizé’s sons received the same sentence in absentia.
According to the judgement by an appeals court in the capital Bangui, they were also found guilty of compromising the state’s internal security and committing “murders.”.
The judgment gave no details regarding the crimes or the relevant time frame.
Civil conflict has torn CAR, one of world’s poorest countries, since 2013 when Muslim-dominated armed groups ousted Bozizé.
In an effort to regain power, Bozizé established Christian-majority armed militias known as the anti-Balakas.
Even though the violence has lessened since 2018, the country still experiences violent outbursts and is still very underdeveloped.
Source-France24
