Chairperson of international Commission of Inquiry visits the Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic, February 26, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Chairperson of the International Commission of Inquiry tasked with investigating human rights violations in the Central African Republic, Bernard Acho Muna, will be visiting Bangui from 26 February until 1 March, for the first time since his appointment last month. The purpose of Mr. Muna's visit is to establish formal contacts with local authorities, including the Head of State of the Transition, Mrs Catherine Samba-Panza, and other relevant stakeholders.

The International Commission of Inquiry was established by the Security Council on 5 December 2013 (resolution 2127) for an initial period of one year. Its mandate is to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law and abuses of human rights in the Central African Republic by all parties since 1 January 2013. The commission is also requested to compile information, to help identify the perpetrators of such violations and abuses, point to their possible criminal responsibility and to help ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The international Commission of Inquiry is scheduled to start its work in the coming weeks and is composed of three high-level experts. In addition to Mr. Muna, the two other experts are Jorge Castañeda of Mexico and Fatimata M'Baye of Mauritania. The commission is assisted by a secretariat scheduled to arrive in the CAR on 4 March 2014.

Mr. Muna, a national of Cameroon, is a lawyer and advocate of the Supreme Court in his country, as well as a former magistrate. He served as Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and was the President of the Central African Region Bar Association.