Former CAR president faces crimes against humanity trial

[00:00:00]Paragraph 1 >> A landmark trial is set to begin in the Central African Republic where former president François Bozizé will be tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity.

[00:00:13]The UN-backed Special Criminal Court alleges that members of Bozizé's security forces committed murder, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances between 2009 and 2013.

[00:00:27]Bozizé, now 79 and living in exile in Guinea-Bissau, is accused of bearing responsibility as commander-in-chief and military leader.

[00:00:36]Three former senior military officers linked to the case are already in custody and will also face trial.

[00:00:43]The proceedings mark a major test for the Special Criminal Court, which was created to investigate war crimes and atrocities committed during years of conflict in the Central African Republic.

[00:00:55]Bozizé's overthrow in 2013 triggered a brutal civil war that left thousands dead and saw both rebel and militia groups accused of serious human rights abuses.