Originally published on the CGS blog on May 22, 2007.
This is an important development for the people of the Central African Republic (CAR). Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo stated today:
“My Office has carefully reviewed information from a range of sources. We believe that grave crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed in the Central African Republic. We will conduct our own independent investigation, gather evidence, and prosecute the individuals who are most responsible.”
It is important to note that the Prosecutor is focusing attention on the use of rape as a war crime in the CAR:
“The allegations of sexual crimes are detailed and substantiated. The information we have now suggests that the rape of civilians was committed in numbers that cannot be ignored under international law.”
This development can be traced back to the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as well as the work undertaken to create the ICC itself.
