The International Criminal Court (ICC) has found former Central African Republic militia commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani guilty of crimes against humanity committed during the country’s 2013 conflict.
Judges in The Hague ruled that Said, 56, was responsible for crimes linked to his role at a detention facility operated by the Seleka armed coalition in Bangui, where supporters of then-President Francois Bozize were detained and subjected to torture.
The court found that Said oversaw the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry, a facility where detainees were subjected to severe mistreatment, including beatings, whipping, waterboarding and painful forms of restraint. According to the court, some prisoners were confined in underground cells without access to basic sanitation facilities.
ICC Judge Miatta Maria Samba said evidence presented during the trial showed the extent of the abuse suffered by detainees, including one victim whose life was permanently affected by the treatment. However, Said was acquitted of three war crimes charges after the judges determined that the armed conflict had ended by the time some of the alleged offences were committed.
Said denied the allegations against him. He was a senior member of the Seleka coalition, which seized power from Bozize in 2013. The takeover triggered a wave of violence that left thousands dead and contributed to the emergence of the predominantly Christian anti-Balaka militia. The conflict continued until French forces intervened in 2014 as part of an international effort backed by the United Nations.
The ICC has been investigating crimes committed during the Central African Republic conflict since 2014. Said is the first former Seleka member to be convicted by the court. The tribunal has previously secured convictions against anti-Balaka leaders Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom. Ngaissona, a former sports minister, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Yekatom, a former member of parliament, received a 15-year sentence.
The Central African Republic has experienced relative calm since the signing of a peace agreement in 2019, although the country continues to deal with the legacy of years of armed conflict.
