Bossembélé Trial: The Prosecution's Statement

By Karen Ann Sullivan | LNC

(Bangui, June 19, 2026 | LAMINE MÉDIA) The Special Criminal Court (SCC) has just announced its charges against François Bozizé (tried in absentia), Vianney Semndiro, Firmin Junior Danboy, and Eugène Ngaïkoiss. They are being prosecuted for crimes against humanity allegedly committed between February 2009 and March 2013 in several locations across the country, including Bangui, Bouar, and Bossembélé. During the hearing on the presentation of the facts, the prosecution presented François Bozizé as the central figure in this legal case. Because he simultaneously held the positions of head of state and Minister of Defense, he had direct control over the Bossembélé military training center, which was presented as a detention center for individuals considered opponents of the regime. The prosecution maintains that arrests, detentions, and acts of violence were ordered or tolerated within this framework. Among the alleged offenses are the assassinations of Charles Massi, coordinator of the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), and Hassan Ousmane, who was accused at the time of having ties to rebel groups. The prosecution also cites the arrest of several individuals suspected of involvement in the 2010 fire at the Rayan supermarket, as well as the arrest of five customs officers stationed in Bouar. According to the prosecution, these detainees were then transferred to Bossembélé, where they were subjected to particularly harsh detention conditions, marked by alleged acts of torture and ill-treatment. Consequently, the Special Criminal Court (SCC) has brought several charges against François Bozizé, including murder, torture, enforced disappearances, and inhuman and degrading treatment, constituting violations of international law. Regarding the three other defendants, the prosecution believes that, due to their positions within the Bossembélé military training center, they possessed the necessary authority to prevent or stop the abuses; they should therefore be tried as accomplices.

For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and GB)

Date: June 19, 2026

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