UN chief welcomes completion of first trial of Special Criminal Court in CAR
New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has welcomed the completion of the first trial of the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic (CAR), his spokesperson said on Monday.
In its judgment issued on 31 October, the Special Criminal Court found three accused armed group members guilty of certain crimes against humanity and war crimes following their involvement in the 21 May 2019 massacre of 46 civilians in Lemouna and Koundjili, in the northwest of the country.
They were sentenced to prison terms from 20 years to life. The three were members of the 3R rebel group that was formed in 2015 during the sectarian conflict in the CAR. The judgment is subject to appeal.
The UN spokesperson said the Secretary-General notes that this trial is "a milestone" in CAR's efforts to bring to justice those responsible for serious crimes, which is crucial for fighting impunity, breaking cycles of violence and contributing to transitional justice.
"The Secretary-General calls on Member States to continue to provide support to the Special Criminal Court to ensure continuity of its operations and on the Government of the Central African Republic to promptly renew the Court’s mandate."
The court jailed Issa Sallet Adoum and Ousman Yaouba for 20 years each, while Tahir Mahamat received a life sentence for killing dozens of civilians in 2019.
-0- PANA MA 2Nov2022
