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· Deposed former Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has announced his intention to run for Presidential election in December 2020
· The former President is still under U.N. sanctions and subject to an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity
Deposed former Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has announced his intention to run for Presidential election in December 2020. The 73-year-old former general army chief and former President is still under U.N. sanctions and subject to an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity. The announcement was made at a congress of his party Kwa na Kwa (Work, Nothing But Work) in the capital Bangui.
The Central African Republic plunged into a civil war when he was overthrown in a 2013 rebellion by a coalition of mainly Muslim rebels from the north. Addressing his supporters, he stated that his country is in dire need of a leader of experience, peace and conviction. Bozize first came to power after a 2003 coup and served 10 years as president. After the rebellion in 2013 he fled the country and came back from exile late last year. The new government sought his arrest for alleged crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide. Bozize said he plans to approach the United Nations to lift the sanctions imposed in 2014 over his alleged support for ‘anti-balaka’ Christian militias.
The current president, Faustin-Archange Touadera who was elected in 2016, is expected to seek a second term in the election though no official announcement has been made yet. The first round of the elections is scheduled for December 27. Central African Republic, the diamond rich country is torn apart by clashes between rival militia. More than 1.5 million people were forced to flee their homes.
