The Central African Republic’s current government, the National Transitional Council, announced that it approved a Special Criminal Court that will investigate and prosecute those who violate the rules of war as well as human rights. Organizations, along with the government, stated the news on Friday.
The decision was made on April 22 when the National Transitional Council voted strongly in favor of a draft law that would establish the Special Criminal Court. Advocates of human rights in the region welcomed the draft, which was introduced back in February 6. With conflict and violence ongoing in the Central African Republic, the justice system has been weak and ineffective. As a result, many crimes against humanity and violations of the rules of war have not been properly addressed.
“By approving the Special Criminal Court, National Transition Council members said that ‘enough is enough’ with impunity and showed that they firmly stand on the side of justice for the victims who lost their lives or suffered atrocities,” said the human rights organizations involved in the announcement of the Special Criminal Court. “There is no time to lose for the government and its international partners to ensure that the Special Criminal Court is up and running as soon as possible.
The Special Criminal Court will deal with cases as far back as 2003. The law that establishes the Special Criminal Court states that it will be a hybrid court, with both national and international judges: 14 from the Central African Republic and 13 from outside. Catherine Samba-Panza will be in charge of the establishing the Special Criminal Court, which will be done in stages with the first stage emphasizing investigations.
With the addition of the Special Criminal Court, the court system in the Central African Republic is expected to be more effective. Further, the United Nations peacekeeping force in the region, known as MINUSCA, is expected to assist the new court system through “logistics, investigations, arrests, and the nomination of international personnel,” said the Human Rights Watch.
"The Special Criminal Court will be a specialized tool to support the Central African justice system in dealing with grave human rights violations and ensuring the security of judges and witnesses," said the organizations in favor of the new law.
