New Delhi, June 17 -- A U.N.-backed court in Central African Republic on Tuesday opened the trial of former President Francois Bozize, who is accused of crimes against humanity for abuses committed by members of his security forces between 2009 and 2013.

The trial at the Special Criminal Court, a tribunal created in 2015 to prosecute serious crimes committed during the country's conflicts, centers on abuses at a prison and a military training center in Bossembele, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of the capital, Bangui.

Prosecutors accuse Bozize of being responsible as a military commander for crimes committed by members of his presidential guard and other security forces, including "murder, enforced disappearance, torture, rap...