Central African Republic - Former militia leaders sentenced by ICC amid ongoing war crime investigations

Intelligence Update

• On 24 July 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted two ex-militia commanders, Alfred Yekatom and Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona, of multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their crimes included the killings of predominantly Muslim civilians and a deliberate attack on a religious building during the conflict that erupted between 2013 and 2014.

• Yekatom, a former army corporal who promoted himself to colonel, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of 20 crimes, including murder, torture, and forced deportation.

• Ngaïssona, who was the head of the country's football association and a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was convicted of 28 crimes, including aiding and abetting. He received a 12-year prison sentence. The court's ruling concludes a lengthy trial process that began in 2021.

• Throughout the proceedings, around 70 witnesses testified, and nearly 2,000 victims were involved. Both defendants were acquitted of charges related to recruiting child soldiers and rape.

Establishment of the Anti-balaka militia

• In March 2013, President François Bozizé, a Christian, was ousted from power by the Seleka coalition, which is mainly Muslim and based in the northeastern part of the Central African Republic. This event sparked a civil war, as the Seleka struggled to control its fighters, who had been engaging in violence since December 2012, even before Bozizé's removal. In response, Yekatom and Ngaïssona formed the "anti-Balaka" militia, mostly made up of Christians, as a self-defence group to fight back against the Seleka, while carrying out revenge attacks.

• Since then, the country has faced persistent instability and communal violence deeply rooted in ethno-religious undertones. According to a report published by Human Rights Watch, around 566 civilians were killed in various attacks. The victims included children and the elderly, who died from injuries, illness, exposure, or hunger. Armed groups also destroyed over 4,200 homes during this period. The exact numbers may be even higher, as some victims may have been buried immediately. Prior to this conflict, Muslims and Christians had lived together peacefully.

Current situation on the ground

• In recent years, violence from armed rebel groups has decreased compared to the peak levels observed between 2013 and 2018. However, factions such as the Union for Peace in the CAR (UPC) and Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R) (which recently signed a peace agreement to disarm) have continued to operate, particularly in border areas. These regions are vulnerable, with rebel groups conducting summary executions and clashing with government forces, who are largely supported by Russian Wagner Group and Rwandan soldiers.

• The ongoing instability has made borders, particularly those near Sudan, more porous. Rebel groups from neighbouring countries are taking advantage of the situation to attack civilians and security personnel, including UN peacekeepers.

• Militia groups such as Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé and Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA) have targeted fleeing refugees from both Sudan and Chad, as well as Fulani herders, with deadly violence and sexual assaults on women and girls.

Will the ICC’s verdict change anything?

• While the ICC's ruling may be celebrated by civil society actors, human rights groups, and victims' families, it is unlikely to change the current security landscape in affected areas including, the capital city, Bangui. Certain prefectures, such as Mbomou, Vakaga, Ouham-Pende, and Haut-Mbomou, continue to experience violence, exacerbated by a limited security presence. The Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), which was formed in 2020 and comprising various armed groups, including the Popular Front for the Renaissance in the Central African Republic (FPRC), Seleka and anti-Balaka fighters, poses an ongoing threat.

• Although the coalition has not recently launched major attacks, the convictions of Yekatom and Ngaïssona and ongoing trial of a Seleka commander, Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, could potentially provoke members of loose Seleka and anti-Balaka fighters to carry out fresh campaign of violence.

Future Implications and Impact

• The trial and conviction of militia/rebel leaders may serve as a wake-up call for active armed groups in the country.

• Groups like the FPRC that are active may reconsider their options in the wake of the ongoing trials and choose to embrace peace instead, following the examples set by the UPC and 3R.

• The ICC's developments may also prompt civil society groups to apply more pressure on international and local courts, such as the Special Criminal Courts in Bangui, to investigate and prosecute other rebel and militia leaders. Currently, the court is looking at cases against several anti-Balaka leaders for crimes committed in the southwestern region and Bangui, between February and March 2014.

• Amid these ongoing issues, private companies and local businesses may still face challenges while operating, as security concerns may limit their ability to carry on with their normal business operations. In the past rebel fights from the CPC have successfully blocked key supply routes that connects Bangui with towns like Douala in Cameroon, making it hard for companies to deliver goods, resulting in scarcity of goods and essential items.

• Many trucks carrying supplies remain stranded at border areas, and in some cases, vehicles that attempt to continue their journeys are ambushed.