The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, the former head of the Central African Republic’s football federation, of 28 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in orchestrating violent attacks against the country’s Muslim population between 2013 and 2014.
Ngaïssona, along with ex-militia commander Alfred Yekatom—widely known as “Rambo”—was found guilty of leading brutal campaigns carried out by anti-Balaka militias, largely composed of Christian fighters. Yekatom was convicted on 20 counts and sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Ngaïssona received a 12-year sentence.
The nearly four-year-long trial included testimony from over 170 witnesses and examined more than 20,000 pieces of evidence.
The ICC found that both men played central roles in a wave of sectarian violence that followed the ousting of President François Bozizé by Muslim Séléka rebels in 2013.
Prosecutors argued that Ngaïssona provided funding and strategic direction to anti-Balaka forces, while Yekatom directly oversaw assaults, including a devastating attack in Bangui on December 5, 2013, in which approximately 1,000 people were killed and half of the capital’s population fled.
Victims of the violence were subjected to torture, executions, and, in some cases, were buried alive—targeted solely for their religious identity. Both Ngaïssona and Yekatom denied all charges.
The ICC’s deputy prosecutor, Mame Mandiaye Niang, called the judgment a “vital recognition” of the suffering endured by victims and a reaffirmation of the need to distinguish between combatants and civilians during conflict.
“This conviction is a strong message from the ICC that those responsible for atrocity crimes under the Rome Statute will be brought to justice and held to account,” Niang said.
The verdict comes at a time when the Central African Republic is taking tentative steps toward peace.
Two major rebel groups recently announced their dissolution, signaling hope for a more stable future. Despite ongoing tensions, especially in remote regions where rebel activity persists, the intensity of violence has declined in recent years.
Established in 2002, the ICC remains the world’s only permanent court mandated to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
