THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Judges on the Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC) on Thursday convicted two males of main Christian-dominated militias in assaults on Muslims within the Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014 and sentenced them to as much as 15 years in jail.
Judges mentioned Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former soccer govt, and militia commander Alfred Yekatom helped to steer a marketing campaign of violence in opposition to Muslim civilians and convicted them of warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity together with homicide, torture, forcible switch and persecution of Muslim civilians.
Each males pleaded not responsible at the beginning of their trial in 2021.
Judges dominated Ngaissona was a long-time chief of the principally Christian militia forces referred to as “anti-Balaka”. He was sentenced to 12 years.
Yekatom, nicknamed “Rambo”, commanded some 3,000 militia members and praised members of his militia who dedicated atrocities, the court docket discovered. He obtained a 15-year jail sentence.
The anti-Balaka militia took up arms in 2013 in response to months of looting and killing by principally Muslim Seleka rebels who had seized energy in March the identical 12 months.
The ICC has been investigating the violence within the Central African Republic since Could 2014. A trial of 1 Seleka chief is beneath means on the ICC. — Reuters
