Follow Us:

CAR: Update on the Bemba trial and the death of former CAR president

08 Apr 2011

Dear All,

Please find below the latest information related to the situation in the Central
African Republic (CAR) and the International Criminal Court's (ICC) trial in the
case against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo.

This message includes the latest news articles.

In particular, please note the articles regarding the death of former president
of the Central African Republic, Ange-Félix Patassé (I), as well as articles
updating the progress of the trial against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (II).

Unless otherwise indicated, all translations are informal translations provided
by the CICC Secretariat. Please also take note of the Coalition's policy on
situations before the ICC (below), which explicitly states that the CICC will
not take a position on potential and current situations before the Court or
situations under analysis. The Coalition, however, will continue to provide the
most up-to-date information about the ICC.

Best regards,

CICC Secretariat
www.coalitionfortheicc.org

****************************************

I. DEATH OF FORMER CAR PRESIDENT, ANGE-FÉLIX PATASSÉ

1. RELATED NEWS AND OPINIONS

a. "La mort de Patassé n'affecte pas le procès Bemba (Patassé's death does
not affect the Bemba Trial)," Radio Ndeke Luka, 8 April 2011,
http://www.radiondekeluka.org/justice/item/3801-la-mort-de-patassé-nâ€%
99affecte-pas-le-procès-bemba (In French)

b. "La disparition d'Ange Félix Patassé porte un coup dur à J.P Bemba (The
death of Ange Félix Patassé is a blow to JP Bemba)," Digital Congo, 7 April
2011, http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/74882 (In French)

c. "RCA: La mort de Patassé laisse Bemba seul face à la CPI (CAR: The
death of Patassé leaves Bemba alone to face the ICC)," Christophe Rigaud,
Journal de Bangui, 7 April 2011,
http://www.journaldebangui.com/article.php?aid=1049 (In French)

d. "Patassé tasse Bemba (Patassé puts the pressure on Bemba)," Faustin
Kuediasala, Le Potentiel, 7 April 2011,
http://www.lepotentiel.com/afficher_article.php?id_article=108718&id_edition=708
9 (In French)

e. "L'ancien président Ange Félix Patassé est mort (Former president Ange
Félix Patassé has died)," Radio Ndeke Luka - 6 avril 2011
http://www.radiondekeluka.org/politique/item/3771-l’ancien-présiden
t-ange-félix-patassé-est-mort (In French)

f. "RDC-RCA : La mort de Patassé laisse Bemba seul face à la CPI
(DRC-CAR: The death of Patassé leaves Bemba alone against the ICC),"
Afrikarabia, 5 April 2011,
http://afrikarabia.blogspirit.com/archive/2011/04/05/rdc-rca-la-mort-de-patasse-
laisse-bemba-seul-face-a-la-cpi.html (In French)

II. UPDATE ON THE BEMBA TRIAL

1. REPORTS ON THE PROCEEDINGS

For daily reports on the proceedings of the Bemba trial, visit the website, "The
Trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo," a project of the Open Society Justice
Initiative: http://www.bembatrial.org/

See:

a. "Central African Probe Concluded That Patassé Had 'Command
Responsibility'," Wakabi Wairagala, 7 April 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/04/central-african-probe-concluded-that-patasse-h
ad-‘command-responsibility’/

b. "Bangui Prosecutor Explains Why Bemba Was Not Tried in CAR," Wakabi
Wairagala, 6 April 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/04/bangui-prosecutor-explains-why-bemba-was-not-t
ried-in-car/

c. "Central African Prosecutor: Local Soldiers Did Not Rape," Wakabi
Wairagala, 5 April 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/04/central-african-prosecutor-local-soldiers-did-
not-rape/

d. "Central African Top Prosecutor Testifies in Bemba Trial," Wakabi
Wairagala, 4 April 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/04/central-african-top-prosecutor-testifies-in-be
mba-trial/

e. "Expert Explains Central African Languages to Bemba Trial," Wakabi
Wairagala, 1 April 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/04/expert-explains-central-african-languages-to-b
emba-trial/

f. "Victims' Lawyer Denied Permission to Question Witness," Wakabi
Wairagala, 31 March 2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/03/victims’-lawyer-denied-permission-to-q
uestion-witness/

g. "New Witness Testifies In Closed Session," Wakabi Wairagala, 30 March
2011, http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/03/new-witness-testifies-in-closed-session/

h. "Bemba Defense Contests Expert's Report," Wakabi Wairagala, 29 March
2011,
http://www.bembatrial.org/2011/03/bemba-defense-contests-expert’s-report
/

2. RELATED NEWS AND OPINIONS

a. "CPI/Bemba - Le Colonel Kadhafi Etait Implique Dans La Guerre En
Centrafrique (ICC/Bemba - Colonel Gaddafi Was Involved in the War in Central
Africa)," Fondation Hirondelle, 7 April 2011,
http://fr.hirondellenews.com/content/view/16058/571/

b. "Le Procureur du Tribunal de Bangui témoigne au procès JP Bemba
(Prosecutor of the Tribunal in Bangui to testify in JP Bemba trial)," Radio
Ndeke Luka, 6 April 2011,
http://www.radiondekeluka.org/justice/item/3772-le-procureur-du-tribunal-de-bang
ui-témoigne-au-procès-jp-bemba

c. "CPI/Bemba - 'Paul Barril a Roule Patassé Dans la Farine' (ICC/Bemba -
'Paul Barril has Patassé in Trouble')," Fondation Hirondelle, 5 April 2011,
http://fr.hirondellenews.com/content/view/16054/571/

d. "Witness Claims Accent Marked Troops' Origins," Institute for War and
Peace Reporting, 4 April 2011,
http://iwpr.net/report-news/witness-claims-accent-marked-troops’-origins

*************************************