A court created seven years ago to prosecute war crimes in the Central African Republic was due to open its first trial this month. But a no-show [8] by defense lawyers means victims' associations and others pushing for justice will have to wait a little longer. The Bangui-based Special Criminal Court (SCC) is a hybrid tribunal composed of national and international jurists tasked with prosecuting war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. It took time to become operational because of staff recruitment challenges [9], insecurity, and limited resources. Arrest warrants have also not been executed [10], and the government has released [11] high-profile suspects without SCC authorization. Its inaugural trial—set to resume in April—concerns three members of the 3R rebel group accused of involvement in a 2019 massacre [12]. Rebel groups remain active across the CAR, which has one of the highest per capita humanitarian caseloads in the world.
From The New Humanitarian [14], April 22
Note: The 3R group emerged as a self-defense force [15] to protect the Fulani community from attacks by the Anti-Balaka militia, but was later accused in reprisal attacks that targeted civilians. The Special Criminal Court was formally established in 2015 but its work has been delayed [16] in part due to lack of international support [17].
