ICC convicts ‘Rambo' and ex-sports minister for Central African Republic war crimes
Ex-sports minister Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona was a senior leader of mainly Christian militias as the country slid into civil war, while Alfred Yekatom, a former MP, commanded them on the ground.
The ICC sentenced Yekatom to 15 years behind bars for 20 war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder and torture.
Ngaissona received 12 years for 28 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona appearing before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands in 2019. File photo: Reuters
Their militia, known as anti-Balaka or 'anti-machete', were formed as vigilante self-defence groups after mainly Muslim rebels called the Seleka stormed the capital Bangui and removed then-president Francois Bozize, a Christian.
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