Central Africa rebel leader gets life in jail
Aug 18, 2006 (BANGUI) — A court in Central African Republic jailed a rebel leader for life on Friday for a series of attacks he said were aimed at destabilising the government of President Francois Bozize.
Jean-Jacques Larmassoum said when his trial opened on Wednesday that he had directed attacks on military targets and that along with eight co-defendants he had taken an active part in a rebellion near the country’s northern border with Chad.
Insecurity since early last year in the north of the poor former French colony has forced thousands of civilians over the border into Chad, itself beset by instability, food shortages and an influx of refugees from Sudan’s Darfur region.
The prosecution had demanded the death penalty for Larmassoum, who appeared relaxed during the brief trial.
On Wednesday, Larmassoum said he had commanded attacks on the towns of Markounda, Batangafo and Kabo in late 2005 and an assault on Paoua in January — all near the Chad border — but said his men had only struck at military targets, not civilians.
He said he worked with around 200 men attacking targets on the roads linking the four localities.
Judge Jean-Noel Bangue found Larmassoum guilty of murder, armed rebellion, threatening state security, plotting, destruction of goods and looting, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Larmassoum, wearing trousers and a white T-shirt and flanked by uniformed officers, smiled after sentence was passed.
Three co-defendants received 10-year terms, two were acquitted and three more were effectively acquitted under a legal clause giving them the benefit of the doubt based on available evidence.
Prosecutors believe the rebellion may be masterminded by former president Ange Felix Patasse, who was overthrown by Bozize in a 2003 coup and is believed to be in exile in Togo.
Patasse is himself due to go on trial in absentia in Bangui next month on charges of embezzlement and fraud.
Attacks in the north of the country have been veiled in confusion, with little known about the various armed groups or any political agenda beyond looting.
Some suspect they may include mercenary fighters from Chad who helped Bozize to power in March 2003 but turned against him after being expelled from the country.
The region was used as a staging post by Chadian rebels during a bloody assault on Chad’s capital N’Djamena in April, fuelling fears that violence on the Chad-Sudan border to the north may spread south.
France sent military helicopters and soldiers early this year to help clamp down on the northern attackers.
(Reuters)