Source: APO
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- Court’s closure would fail victims & survivors and represent “a catastrophic setback” in country’s fight against impunity
- Court staff already reduced by 25%
The Special Criminal Court (SCC) of the Central African Republic is at serious risk of closure in 2026, potentially depriving thousands of victims and survivors of war crimes and crimes against humanity of justice and reparations, Amnesty International said today. The organization is calling on states to make urgent financial contributions to the court to ensure its crucial operations can continue.
The SCC, which relies solely on voluntary contributions from states and international organizations, has endured massive budget cuts over the past year. Without additional funding, the court, which has a mandate to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law committed during conflicts in the Central African Republic, will run out of money in June.
“Thousands of Central African civilians were killed, raped, abducted, maimed, injured, displaced, or had their homes burned down during waves of violence and armed conflict since 2003. For these victims and survivors, the SCC represents a hope for justice, which is now compromised. The court is doing essential work, with 15 investigations and three trials ongoing, and over 30 persons currently wanted. Its closure would be a catastrophic setback in the fight against impunity in the Central African Republic. It must continue its work,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“Victims are excluded from their own trials, as the court no longer has the means to cover their transportation and accommodation costs. The possibility of cases being frozen or simply abandoned is no longer a hypothesis, it is a founded fear. Victims fear that justice will be extinguished due to lack of resources,” said a member of a local survivors’ association.
“The decline in funding has a significant impact. Financial partners are no longer responding to our needs, yet those partners are essential. This affects those most directly concerned, namely the victims who are seeking justice,” said the representative of another survivors’ association.
The SCC was severely affected by the withdrawal of funding by the United States, which was the second biggest donor to the court after the United Nations (UN). The only current donors are the UN, through its peacekeeping mission and its development agency, and the European Union (EU). Due to the liquidity crisis faced by the UN, it cannot guarantee its planned contributions for 2026.
This drastic funding reduction has already profoundly affected the court’s functioning and jeopardizes its very existence, with serious repercussions for ongoing proceedings and the services provided to victims and witnesses. For this calendar year, only the EU has pledged a funding contribution. Some European states are also examining the possibility of providing funding, however they have not yet committed to making new contributions, and neither has any other state.
The court has already had to make a quarter of its staff redundant, particularly its foreign experts, between August and September 2025, according to information gathered by Amnesty International. There is now only one team of judicial police officers left to investigate, down from four previously, while there are 15 ongoing investigations into cases involving war crimes and crimes against humanity. The witness protection section has lost more than half of its staff, potentially reducing the court’s ability to prevent reprisals against witnesses.
“Victims and survivors of crimes under international law have a right to truth, justice, and reparations. We call on all partner states of the Central African Republic to urgently commit financial and human resources to the SCC so that justice can be served for these victims and survivors. Without this, impunity will prevail,” said Marceau Sivieude.
“National courts do not have the resources and capacity to carry out the mandate entrusted to the SCC, despite the efforts made by the Central African authorities. If the SCC closes, having arrested and prosecuted in person only a few low-level persons, and not the leaders most responsible, and for a few recent incidents, it will have largely failed in its mission and disappointed the hopes and expectations of the Central African people.”
Background
The SCC, inaugurated on 22 October 2018, is a hybrid court supported by the UN, composed of Central African and foreign prosecutors and judges.
On 19 April 2022, it opened its first trial, against three former members of an armed group for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Since then, four trials have taken place, two of these cases are still in the appeal phase. Two other trials are currently pending in first instance.
The SCC issued an arrest warrant for former President François Bozizé in 2024, which has not yet been executed, although the case was sent to trial in January 2026 even in the absence of Bozizé. Over 30 persons are currently wanted by the court in connection with ongoing investigations or proceedings.
The SCC began its second five-year term on 22 October 2023. It is due to end in October 2028.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
