CAPE TOWN – Central African Republic authorities and the United Nations have failed to investigate war crimes, perpetuating violence and fear in the conflict-torn nation, human rights watchdog Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Amnesty found out that during a research mission in CAR that leaders of armed groups and their members continued to commit atrocities in spite of the deployment of roughly 8,000 UN peacekeepers in October.
The nation rich in gold and diamonds suffered sectarian violence since largely Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew President Francois Bozize, a Christian, in March 2013.
Meanwhile, since October, dozens of civilians were killed, thousands displaced and several villages burnt, the human rights group said.
According to the report, the key perpetrators are Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former minister and leader of the mainly Christian anti-Balaka rebels, as well as anti-Balaka commanders Col. Douze Puissances and Alfred Yekatom.
Witnesses told Amnesty that Ngaissona continued to coordinate the killing of civilians and attacks on international forces.
The group said the previous government had issued an arrest warrant for Ngaissonae,but that he had continued to be instrumental in political negotiations with CAR’s transitional government.
However, Amnesty added that Seleka members also continue to commit serious human rights violations.
A Special Criminal Court set up by the UN and the transitional government was not functional due to lack of funding, according to Amnesty.
Reports say a peace process, which the transitional government led by interim President Catherine Panza has been trying to implement since the beginning of this year, has shown little success.
According to a report ,thousands of people have been killed in CAR since the conflict began in 2013, and no fewer than a million displaced. (dpa/NAN)