The Special Court for the Investigation of War Crimes in the Central African Republic -CAR is expected to begin hearings soon.
Some have praised the Bangui court as an example of justice in a country ravaged by decades of civil violence.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
The Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic is set to hear its first trial on Tuesday, seven years after it was established.
The hybrid court, which is made up of foreign and Central African judges and prosecutors, was established to look into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the previous two decades.
Some have praised the Bangui court as an example of justice in a country ravaged by decades of civil violence.
Others have questioned its usefulness.
The defendants in the trial on Tuesday include members of 3R, one of the country's most formidable armed groups.
They are suspected of killing dozens of people in the country's northwestern region.
Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court, has tweeted his support for the Special Criminal Court.
