I welcome the recent arrest and transfer of Mr Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka (“Mr Mokom”) to the custody of the International Criminal Court (”ICC” or ”the Court”) to face justice for his alleged crimes as charged before the ICC. He is the fourth suspect arrested in the context of my Office’s ongoing investigations in the Central African Republic II.
The transfer of Mr Mokom demonstrates my Office’s ongoing commitment to combat impunity for the most heinous crimes that have plagued the population of the Central African Republic. It also underscores our firm commitment to bring justice to the victims who were subjected to the violent crimes that have been committed in the Central African Republic (“CAR”).
I am grateful to the Chadian authorities who made this operation possible, and for the ongoing assistance from the CAR authorities. I also wish to express my admiration for the witnesses from CAR. Their courage and fortitude have been, and continue to be, essential for establishing the truth and progressing the cause of justice.
I reiterate that my Office continues to follow events on the ground in CAR. I remain concerned about the security situation and reports of serious violence and crimes committed against civilians. All these crimes must stop.
In this respect, I stress again that anyone who commits crimes – be it murder, pillage, rape, or other crimes under the jurisdiction of the Court – is liable to prosecution.
My Office will continue its work concerning the Situation in Central African Republic and will seek to further deepen our engagement with all actors in pursuit of our common objective to advance accountability for atrocity crimes in the country.