By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
BANGUI, Central African Republic — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened up an investigation into alleged war crimes taking place in the struggling Central African Republic (CAR).
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The preliminary investigation is going to look into recent account of violence in the country, including lynchings and beheading. Fatou Bensouda, the ICC chief prosecutor, has reviewed many reports of “extreme brutality” and her offices feels that allegations of crimes committed “possibly fall within the ambit of the jurisdiction of the ICC”.
“The allegations include hundreds of killings, acts of rape and sexual slavery, destruction of property, pillaging, torture, forced displacement and recruitment and use of children in hostilities….In many incidents, victims appear to have been deliberately targeted on religious grounds.”” Bensouda said in a statement.
The CAR has been plagued by violence since Seleka Rebels, who are Muslim, overthrew the government in March of 2013. The conflict has recently started to show religious undertones with the Seleka fighting mainly Christin groups known as as anti-balaka (machete), the favorite weapon of the Seleka.
The efforts of the ICC will be in carried out in conjunction with the African Union and the UN. “In conformity with the complementarity principle, my Office will also be engaging with the CAR authorities with a view to discussing ways and means to bring perpetrators to account, including at the national level,” Bensouda said
The African Union and France have sent troops to the CAR to try to restore order, but so far they have been unsuccessful.
On Wednesday soldiers publicly lynched a suspected ex-Seleka member after a military ceremony. The UN refugee agency said 9,000 people, mostly Muslims, have fled to neighboring Cameroon over the past 10 days alone. The violence has see a marked increase in recent weeks and has “reached intolerable and unprecedented levels,” the Doctors Without Borders group said in a statement Friday.
“Civilians remain in constant fear for their lives, and have been largely left to fend for themselves,” the charity’s emergency coordinator Martine Flokstra said.
CAR is a signatory to the Rome Statute, which led to the formation of ICC. The court has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
For further information please see:
Aljazeera — ICC to open war crimes probe in CAR– 8 February 2014
BBC News — ICC opens CAR ‘war crimes’ preliminary investigation — 7 February 2014
Detroit Free Press — Muslims flee sectarian violence in Central African Republic amid war crimes probe — 7 February 2014
Global Post — ICC launches C.Africa war crimes probe — 7 February 2014