Amnesty International Report 2003 - Central African Republic

Amnesty International, Amnesty International Report 2003 - Central African Republic, -, 28 May 2003, https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/2003/en/14234 [accessed 03 October 2024]
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Covering events from January - December 2002

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Head of state: Ange-Félix Patassé
Head of government: Martin Ziguélé
Death penalty: abolitionist in practice
International Criminal Court: ratified

Dozens of unarmed civilians were killed along the border with Chad during fighting between government soldiers and rebel forces. Dozens of other unarmed civilians were unlawfully killed and hundreds were tortured during and following an attempted coup in October. After an unfair trial, 25 people were sentenced to death in absentia and around 600 people were sentenced to prison terms in absentia in connection with a coup attempt in May 2001.

Background

Political and military instability persisted in the aftermath of the 28 May 2001 coup attempt by armed soldiers of the former President, General André Kolingba. In November 2001, the army chief of staff, General François Bozizé, fled to neighbouring Chad with his followers after he was accused of another coup attempt. The government subsequently accused General Bozizé's forces of launching armed incursions into northern Central African Republic, with Chadian government support. During 2002 there were repeated clashes along the Chad border between General Bozizé's supporters and Central African forces led by the former Chadian rebel leader, Abdoulaye Miskine, recruited as a colonel in the Central African army. The Presidents of both countries met in the Chadian capital N'djaména on 10 April to discuss tensions between the two states and announced the immediate reopening of the common border.

In October General Bozizé launched another attempt to overthrow President Ange-Félix Patassé. Dozens died in the fighting before the rebels retreated, and thousands of people fled to the town of Mbaiki, about 175km southwest of Bangui, the capital.

In November around 300 troops from the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) arrived in Bangui to ensure the President's security and to patrol the border between Chad and the Central African Republic. On 11 November the UN peace-building office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) set up a commission to investigate human rights violations perpetrated during the October 2002 coup attempt.

October coup attempt

From 25 to 31 October forces loyal to former army General Bozizé attempted to overthrow President Patassé. They were driven out of the capital, Bangui, by loyalist forces supported by Libyan government troops and combatants of the Mouvement de la libération du Congo (MLC), Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

During and after the coup attempt in Bangui, and after the rebels had withdrawn, dozens of unarmed civilians were unlawfully killed and hundreds beaten by forces supporting the Central African government. Hundreds of women, girls and boys were raped. The main perpetrators were reported to be MLC combatants as well as Libyan and Central African government forces. Local and international humanitarian workers expressed concern that many of the people raped were at risk of HIV infection. Rebel forces also committed human rights abuses, including the taking of hostages.

  • Dozens of unarmed Chadian nationals were killed in the PK12 district of Bangui on 31 October, allegedly by members of the presidential guard and other Central African government forces.
  • Presidential spokesman Prosper Ndouba was taken hostage on 25 October by rebels and held some 300km north of Bangui towards the border with Chad. He was released on 2 December.
Unlawful killings

During the year dozens of unarmed civilians, including Chad nationals, were killed in the north of the Central African Republic during repeated clashes between General Bozizé's supporters, based in Chad, and soldiers supporting the Central African government.
  • In January, 11 unarmed Chadian civilians were killed near M'Bari and Batangafo in the north of the Central African Republic, allegedly by Central African government forces.
Impunity

The authorities failed to bring to justice members of the security forces suspected of serious human rights violations. There was no investigation into extrajudicial executions by the security forces that took place after the May 2001 coup attempt.

Political trial and the death penalty

The government-appointed Commission of Judicial Inquiry was itself responsible for human rights violations during its investigations of abuses perpetrated by rebel forces against security forces during the May 2001 coup attempt. Among the violations committed by the Commission were arrests on the basis of anonymous notes, failure to respect the time limit for holding suspects in police custody, unlawful searches, violations of prisoners' rights, and obstruction of the right to freedom of movement. The Commission's findings led to the trial in absentia of more than 600 defendants.
  • The trial of former Defence Minister Jean-Jacques Demafouth, former President Kolingba and 600 other defendants on charges relating to the May 2001 coup attempt opened and was immediately adjourned on 15 February after defence lawyers protested that the proceedings did not respect the rights of the defence. Defendants had not been given access to the files until two days before the trial began. When the trial resumed on 22 February, Jean-Jacques Demafouth was in court, charged with organizing his own coup attempt. The President of the Criminal Court tried but failed to exclude one of the main defence lawyers, Zarambaud Assingambi. The Ligue centrafricaine des droits de l'homme, Central African Human Rights League, protested against the insults and humiliations suffered by defence counsel. The hearing was adjourned on 8 March.
On 21 August the trial of 600 defendants resumed. After a two-day trial during which none of the defendants had legal representation, both the civilians and former soldiers being tried received up to 20-year prison sentences with hard labour for treason. On 26 August, former President Kolingba, his three sons and 21 soldiers were sentenced to death in absentia on charges of undermining state security. The same day, 10 people accused of being accomplices to former President Kolingba were sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour. On 7 October Jean-Jacques Demafouth was acquitted.

AI country visits

In January AI delegates visited Bangui to gather information about human rights violations in the aftermath of the May 2001 coup attempt, and held talks with the authorities. The delegates also visited Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to interview refugees from the Central African Republic. They also discussed with MLC leaders human rights abuses committed by the armed group's combatants in the Central African Republic in May 2001.

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