Two militant leaders are found guilty by the ICC of attacking Muslims in the Central African Republic

Two former militia leaders, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, were found guilty on Thursday by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in a violent campaign against Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) from 2013 to 2014.

The men were convicted by the court of directing mass killings, torture, persecution, and the eviction of citizens amid sectarian conflicts between Christian-led “anti-Balaka” militias and primarily Muslim Seleka rebels.

The court characterized Ngaissona, a former football executive and longtime anti-Balaka leader, as receiving a 12-year prison sentence. Yekatom, also known by his moniker “Rambo,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison when it was discovered that he had commanded some 3,000 militia soldiers. According to judges, Yekatom not only ordered attacks but also gave plaudits to those who carried out atrocities.

When their trial started in 2021, both men had entered not guilty pleas.

The ascent of Seleka rebels who had taken over the government earlier that year sparked the violent emergence of anti-Balaka militias in 2013. Anti-Balaka fighters responded by attacking Muslim areas in large numbers, which set off a chain of retaliatory bloodshed that decimated the nation.

In May 2014, the ICC began looking into the situation in the CAR. While another trial involving a Seleka leader is still going on at the court, Thursday’s convictions represent a major turning point in the efforts to hold offenders accountable.