The International Criminal Court (ICC) has handed down prison sentences to two Central African Republic militia leaders for their roles in a campaign of violence that targeted Muslim civilians during the country’s 2013–2014 civil conflict. Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former high-ranking football official, received a 12-year term, while Alfred Yekatom, a militia commander nicknamed “Rambo,” was sentenced to 15 years. Both were convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and the forced displacement of communities.
Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt detailed horrific acts committed under their leadership, including the mutilation and disappearance of a victim whose fingers, toes, and ear were severed by Yekatom’s forces. The anti-Balaka militias, predominantly Christian groups formed in response to abuses by the Muslim-majority Seleka rebel coalition, carried out widespread reprisals that displaced thousands and left Muslim communities disproportionately scarred. While Ngaissona was recognized as a long-term strategist for the movement, Yekatom directly commanded approximately 3,000 fighters implicated in systematic atrocities.
The court acquitted Yekatom of child soldier conscription charges and cleared Ngaissona of rape allegations. Both had denied all charges since their 2021 trial began. Yekatom was arrested in 2018 after firing a weapon inside the Central African Republic’s parliament, while Ngaissona was detained in France the same year while serving as head of the country’s football association and a Confederation of African Football board member.
The verdicts mark a milestone in the ICC’s decade-long investigation into the conflict, which erupted after Seleka rebels seized power in 2013. A separate trial targeting a former Seleka leader is ongoing, underscoring the court’s efforts to address atrocities committed by all factions. Despite a reduction in large-scale violence, sporadic clashes persist in remote regions, with government forces backed by Russian mercenaries and Rwandan troops still confronting rebel groups.
The Central African Republic, plagued by coups and instability since its 1960 independence, remains one of the world’s least developed nations. The ICC’s rulings highlight the enduring challenges of achieving accountability in protracted conflicts, even as the court reaffirms its role as a cornerstone of global justice. With over 60% of the population reliant on humanitarian aid, the case also draws attention to the human toll of cyclical violence and the slow path toward reconciliation.
