A UN-backed court in the Central African Republic opens the trial of former President François Bozizé, according to multiple outlets. The proceedings take place at the UN-supported Special Criminal Court, which includes foreign judges. The trial is held in absentia because Bozizé is not present. France 24 and RFI say he is tried over crimes against humanity committed between 2009 and 2013, while other reports confirm the trial’s opening without adding further detail. Bozizé, 79, seized power in a coup in 2003 and was later overthrown about a decade afterward by rebels. France 24 reports that he has been living in exile in Guinea-Bissau since March 2023. The Independent and ABC News also state that the trial begins under UN backing, reflecting the court’s international role in prosecuting serious offences. The reporting is consistent that the case concerns alleged atrocities during the specified period and that the trial proceeds without the former president.