August 2nd 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – Former President of the Central African Republic (CAR) François Bozizé is using South Sudan diplomatic passport to evade the existing travel ban and asset freeze put forth by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
In 2014 a travel ban and asset freeze was imposed on Bozizé along with two others for “engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of Central African Republic,” according to a letter to the sanctions committee.
In a letter dated July 23rd 2018 from the UN Panel of Experts on the Central African Republic, the former Central African head of state has been using the South Sudan diplomatic passport under the name Samuel Peter Mudde after having been reported by the expert in 2017 that the former president is likely using counterfeit documents.
“The Panel suspected that Mr. Bozizé had been travelling with a South Sudanese diplomatic passport bearing the name Samuel Peter Mudde,” the letter partly read.
It said the Panel, after several request to countries where the former President had traveled, was served with a copy of the South Sudanese diplomatic passport by Kenya in which the panel was able to confirm using facial recognition.
“Following several requests for information, made to countries where the former President had traveled, on 2 February 2018 Kenya shared a copy of the above-mentioned passport, enabling the Panel to confirm by facial recognition that the passport was indeed being used by Mr. Bozizé,” the later further said.
The letter further said that the Panel wrote to the South Sudan Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York to request further information regarding the passport but had not been heard back since then.
“On 8 February 2018, the Panel sent a letter to the Permanent Mission of South Sudan to the United Nations requesting information regarding the passport used by Mr. Bozizé. The South Sudanese authorities have yet to provide a response,” further said the statement.
