Central African Republic: The next president must make the fight against impunity a top priority  

On the day that Amnesty International launches a human rights Manifesto aimed at candidates running in Central African Republic’s presidential election scheduled on 27 December, Tity Agbahey, Amnesty International Central Africa Campaigner, said:

Despite the commitment of the authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) to end impunity for crimes under international law committed over the past 18 years by all parties to the conflict, concrete steps still need to be taken.

Tity Agbahey, Amnesty International Central Africa Campaigner

“Despite the commitment of the authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) to end impunity for crimes under international law committed over the past 18 years by all parties to the conflict, concrete steps still need to be taken. Victims and their families continue to see those responsible for killings, rape and lootings, walk freely while some leaders hold official positions.

“In our Manifesto, we call on the presidential candidates to reverse this situation and ensure that justice for victims of serious crimes and their families will be the rule and not the exception.

“The next president should immediately commit to taking strong measures, in particular by improving the quality of the criminal justice system, granting the Ministry of Justice sufficient budget to do its work and abolishing the death penalty, which the country committed to in front of its peers.”

The next president should immediately commit to taking strong measures, in particular by improving the quality of the criminal justice system.

Tity Agbahey

Background

Amnesty International is launching today a Manifesto calling on presidential candidates in the Central African Republic (CAR) to put human rights at the heart of their priorities, if elected on 27 December. The country has experienced several waves of violence since 2002, which have included war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Many of these crimes were committed during the 2002-2003 conflict, as well as during the current crisis since 2012 in the aftermath of the seizure of power by the Seleka armed group, then during clashes between ex-Seleka and anti- Balaka armed groups.