Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday convicted two former militia leaders—Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom—for war crimes and crimes against humanity over their roles in a brutal campaign of violence targeting Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) between 2013 and 2014.
The court found the men guilty of overseeing atrocities including murder, torture, persecution, and the forcible displacement of civilians during sectarian clashes between Christian-dominated “anti-Balaka” militias and mostly Muslim Seleka rebels.
Ngaissona, a former football executive described by the court as a long-time anti-Balaka leader, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Yekatom—also known by his alias “Rambo”—was found to have commanded around 3,000 militia fighters and received a 15-year sentence. Judges said Yekatom not only directed attacks but also praised subordinates who committed atrocities.
Both men had pleaded not guilty when their trial began in 2021.
The anti-Balaka militias emerged in 2013 as a violent response to the rise of Seleka rebels who had seized control of the government earlier that year. In retaliation, anti-Balaka fighters carried out widespread attacks on Muslim communities, leading to a cycle of reprisal violence that devastated the country.
The ICC opened its investigation into CAR’s conflict in May 2014. Thursday’s convictions mark a significant milestone in efforts to hold perpetrators accountable, while another trial involving a Seleka leader is still ongoing at the court.
Melissa Enoch
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