The trial of former Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has begun before a UN-backed Special Criminal Court in Bangui, where he faces allegations of crimes against humanity linked to actions by his security forces between 2009 and 2013.
Bozize, who ruled the country from 2003 until he was overthrown in 2013, is being tried in absentia while living in exile in Guinea-Bissau. The charges include murder, torture, enforced disappearances and rape allegedly committed by members of his Presidential Guard.
Three former senior military officers linked to the case are currently in detention and will also face trial.
The Special Criminal Court, which investigates war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic since 2003, issued an international arrest warrant for Bozize in 2024.
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