The man, a consultant for the North American non-governmental organization (NGO) FHI360, was accused of six crimes, including attacks against the internal and external security of the State, as well as terrorism, according to the Central African justice system, cited today by the Associated news agency Press (AP).
If he is found guilty, he faces a life sentence of hard labor.
Among the humanitarian worker's alleged crimes, the prosecutor's office listed "the existence of several contracts with the leaders of armed groups, the provision of strategic information on the different positions of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), money and weapons, being identified as an alleged employee of an American non-governmental organization that is investigating Fulani herdsmen.”
According to the indictment, the man allegedly also "advocated war crimes and crimes against humanity, the propaganda of armed groups while encouraging them to create an international terrorist branch like the Islamic State," the statement added.
The detainee has Belgian and Portuguese passports.
Family Health International 360 (FHI360), a public health NGO that manages projects related to family planning and reproductive health, has confirmed that one of its workers is detained in the Central African Republic.
The man was detained last month in Zemio, a town in the southeast of the Central African Republic that has been plagued by fighting between local ethnic militias and anti-government rebels for more than a decade.
"We are working to secure the immediate release of our consultant," FHI360 spokeswoman Jennifer Garcia told The Associated Press immediately after his arrest.
So far, the AP has not been able to contact the man and none of his lawyers have commented on the known accusation on Friday.
Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative of the United Nations secretary-general responsible for humanitarian action, told the AP that he was monitoring the situation.
"We learned of the news and the prosecutor's press release through the press." said Ayoya, adding: "We have no comment to make. But what I can say at this level is that it is your embassy in Bangui that is managing the process."
On May 31, the Portuguese Government told Lusa that it was "monitoring the case in person", including providing food to the Portuguese-Belgian.
"The number two at the Embassy [of Portugal] in Kinshasa has already visited him, as has the honorary consul [of Portugal] in the Central African Republic," a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) told Lusa.
Central African authorities have warned foreign NGO workers against participating in activities that could endanger national security, otherwise they will be subject to legal action.
Following this arrest, the armed forces were sent to Zemio, after more than six years of absence from the city.
The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-president François Bozizé from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back.
A 2019 peace agreement helped ease the fighting, but six of the 14 armed groups that signed the deal later abandoned it.
The CAR army, one of the poorest on the African continent, is supported by mercenaries from the Russian Wagner group or its successor, the Africa Corps.
A UN peacekeeping mission, including Portuguese military personnel, and Rwandan troops are currently deployed in the Central African Republic to try to quell violence and protect civilians.
No comments:
Post a Comment