Central African Republic reparations: what victims say about first payments

“For the first time in the history of the Central African Republic, a reparation measure ordered by a court has been implemented for the direct benefit of victims who were civil parties,” wrote the information unit of the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in a press release published on September 16 in Bangui. On August 31, a team from the Service d’aide aux victimes et à la défense (SAVD), the unit responsible for implementing reparations ordered by the SCC, travelled to Paoua in the far north-west of the country to pay the symbolic sum owed to the victims and their heirs. “Forty-one people have received compensation,” said Charles Mugaruka Mupenda, head of the SAVD. “These people represent 32 families from nine civil parties, including 13 families from Koundjili and 19 families from Lémouna. In terms of individual reparations, five women victims of sexual violence, three victims of attempted murder and one victim of kidnapping received financial compensation.” Koundjili and Lémouna are two villages located 45 and 50 km from Paoua. These localities were the target of coordinated attacks by armed men from the 3R movement on May 21, 2019. The attacks left 36 people dead in these two villages. The 3R...