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Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom person been sentenced for warfare crimes and crimes against humanity.
Published On 24 Jul 2025
The International Criminal Court has convicted 2 leaders of a predominantly Christian rebel radical successful the Central African Republic for aggregate warfare crimes committed against Muslim civilians during the country’s civilian warfare successful 2013 and 2014, sentencing each to much than a decennary successful prison.
The erstwhile president of the CAR Football Federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, on with Alfred Yekatom, a rebel person known arsenic “Rambo,” were recovered blameworthy connected Thursday of their engagement successful atrocities including murder, torture and attacking civilians.
The tribunal sentenced Yekatom to 15 years for 20 warfare crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ngaissona received 12 years for 28 counts of warfare crimes and crimes against humanity.
The charges stem from their roles arsenic elder leaders successful a militia known arsenic the anti-Balaka, which was formed successful 2013 aft chiefly Muslim Seleka rebels stormed the superior Bangui successful March of that twelvemonth and toppled then-President Francois Bozize, a Christian.
The unit that ensued near thousands of civilians dormant and displaced hundreds of thousands of others. Mosques, shops and homes were looted and destroyed.
The ICC’s presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt work harrowing details successful The Hague of the unit committed by the militia against suspected Seleka Muslims.
Yekatom’s men tortured 1 fishy by cutting disconnected his fingers, toes, and 1 ear. This man’s assemblage was ne'er found. Others were killed and past mutilated.
Appearing successful tribunal dressed successful a airy brownish suit and waistcoat, achromatic shirt, and acheronian tie, Yekatom listened impassively arsenic the justice work retired the verdict.
Dressed successful a agleam bluish jacket, Ngaissona nodded to the justice arsenic his condemnation was delivered.
The tribunal recovered Yekatom not blameworthy of conscripting kid soldiers and acquitted Ngaissona of the complaint of rape.
Both men had pleaded not blameworthy to each charges laid retired successful the trial, which opened successful 2021. It is the archetypal lawsuit astatine the ICC, which began successful May 2014, to absorption connected the unit that erupted aft the Seleka seized powerfulness successful the CAR successful 2013.
Yekatom was extradited to The Hague successful precocious 2018, aft being arrested successful the CAR for firing his weapon successful parliament. Ngaissona was arrested successful France successful December 2018 and extradited to The Hague.
The proceedings of an alleged Seleka commander, Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, is ongoing.
Last year, judges astatine the ICC unsealed different apprehension warrant successful the investigation. According to prosecutors, Edmond Beina commanded a radical of astir 100-400 anti-balaka fighters liable for murdering Muslims successful aboriginal 2014.
Separate proceedings against Beina and 5 others astatine a specially-created tribunal are slated to statesman successful the CAR connected Friday.
The CAR is among the poorest nations successful the satellite and has endured a succession of civilian wars and authoritarian governments since gaining independency from France successful 1960.
Violence has subsided successful caller years, but warring occasionally erupts successful distant regions betwixt rebels and the nationalist army, which is backed by Russian mercenaries and Rwandan troops.
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