Abuses committed by governments and armed groups in Central African Republic between 2003 and 2015 may constitute crimes against humanity, states a U.N. report.
That includes killing, rape, mutilation, pillaging, and torture.
The report was compiled by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is meant to help authorities identify cases as they establish a Special Criminal Court to try the worst crimes committed by the landlocked, isolated nation.
The report not only serves to examine crimes, but also to show that justice will be served, said U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour.
Perpetrators have enjoyed near total impunity throughout the examined period due to persistent insecurity and a feeble justice system, the report stated.
Repeated political crises in CAR have fuelled conflict since 2003.
After seizing power from President Ange-Felix Patasse in a March 2003 coup d’etat, forces loyal to François Bozize killed and tortured civilians in order to settle personal scores and pillaged U.N. and other diplomatic facilities, the report said.
A decade later, Christian anti-Balaka militia again killed unarmed civilians, conducted public lynchings, and mutilated victims in so-called cleansing operations against Muslims in retaliation for similar abuses by mostly Muslim rebels, it said.
Tit for tat violence that has spread across the towns of Banguassou, Bria, and Alindao is on the rise again despite a successful presidential election last year. In the last few weeks alone, fighting between militia groups has killed around 300 people and displaced 100,000, the worst bout of displacements since 2013.
In Bambari hospital doctors said that over the last 10 days they had received wounded from attacks to people in Alindao.
