This op-ed is also available in French, Arabic, and Portuguese on the Project Syndicate website.

Dear Supporter,

This week, as The Sentry sheds light on this critical moment in the Central African Republic, we’re sharing with you an op-ed authored by our Co-Founder John Prendergast and Senior Investigator Nathalia Dukhan. Published yesterday by Project Syndicate, “Justice in a Hijacked State” poses the question:

“In a country that has known only impunity since its founding, where the state has been transformed into a murderous machine of plunder, can justice be served?”

What does justice look like for two women, Marie and Adjara, who share similar experiences on opposite sides of a splintered war zone? And what does justice entail in a state besieged by a multitude of violent and corrupt actors? Prendergast and Dukhan make the case that justice can be served, but that it requires replacing carrots with sticks.

Freezing war profiteers and members of criminal organizations out of the international financial system, pursuing criminal justice through the International Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court, levying tools of financial pressure against those involved in aid theft and diversion, and shutting down spoilers of peace are just some of the ways that justice can be sought. In all its forms, though, justice in CAR “would provide leverage for those attempting to achieve peace, promote good governance, and protect human rights.”

Peace should no longer be stolen. Read the full op-ed with all of The Sentry’s recommendations on how to help advance justice in CAR, and stay tuned for more updates coming this week.

Sincerely,

Brad Brooks-Rubin
Managing Director
The Sentry

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The Sentry would like to thank the Nationale Postcode Loterij, Players of People's Postcode Lottery, Clooney Foundation for Justice, The Giustra International Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, whose support contributes to our CAR program. We are grateful for the support we receive from all our donors.

To learn more about all of The Sentry’s funders, please visit The Sentry website at www.thesentry.org/about