ICC Convicts Former CAR Rebel Commander of Torture and Unlawful Imprisonment
ICC Delivers Crimes Against Humanity Conviction
The International Criminal Court convicted former Central African Republic rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of four counts of crimes against humanity including torture and unlawful imprisonment for his role overseeing a notorious detention center in Bangui during the 2013 civil war. [4] The ICC found that Said, 56, oversaw beatings and maltreatment as head of a feared prison unit as the CAR spiralled into civil war in 2013. [4] Wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans, Said shook his head multiple times in the courtroom as presiding judge Miatta Maria Samba detailed the crimes. [4] The ICC will deliver a sentence for the crimes at a later date. [4] Said was also acquitted of three counts of war crimes. [4]
Details of Torture at Bangui Detention Center
Said ran the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (OCRB) detention centre in the capital Bangui where horrific acts of torture and deprivation were inflicted on prisoners. [4] Samba said a frequently used torture method was "arbatachar", in which prisoners' hands, elbows, and feet were tied tightly together behind their backs. [4] Others were beaten with ropes and whips, and doused in water, said Samba. [4] Said kept some detainees in a cramped cell under his office without sanitary facilities, according to the ruling. [4] "Detainees had to urinate and defecate inside the underground cell. The underground cell was dark, cramped, dirty, and insufficiently ventilated," she said. [4] "The floor was covered in waste and it smelled of faeces and urine." [4] Said was involved in the interrogation and mistreatment of detainees and present when they were being tortured, the judge ruled. [4] The court acknowledged the suffering and trauma of the victims, who testified about the long-lasting impact of the crimes on them, their families and their lives. [4] Samba cited one victim as saying he had been "completely unbalanced and that his life had been completely destroyed by the mistreatment he suffered". [4]
Said's Role in the Seleka Rebellion and Civil War
Said was a top commander of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group that ousted president François Bozize and plunged one of the world's poorest countries into a bloody sectarian conflict. [4] The Seleka overthrow of Bozize sparked a catastrophic civil war in the country of some five million people, with thousands of civilians losing their lives and war crimes alleged on both sides. [4] Bozize set up militias dominated by Christians and animists, known as "anti-Balakas", to regain power. [4] French troops under a UN mandate helped the government secure the main cities from 2014. [4] The country has stabilised since a peace agreement was signed in Khartoum in 2019. [4] President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won three terms in office, touting his efforts to steady the nation after decades of conflict. [4]
Previous ICC Convictions in Central African Republic
Last year, the ICC convicted two top anti-Balaka figures for war crimes. [4] Ex-sports minister Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona was a senior anti-Balaka leader, while Alfred Yekatom, a former MP, commanded them on the ground. [4] The ICC sentenced Yekatom to 15 years behind bars for 20 war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder and torture. [4] Ngaissona received 12 years for 28 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. [4]
Reactions and Outlook for Justice
Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, called the conviction a “significant milestone in the fight against impunity", but warned that the country still faces serious challenges. [4] “The verdict is also a stark reminder of the ongoing abuses in the country, and the need for increased support for both international and domestic justice efforts to end the accountability gap that helps fuel recurring cycles of violence,” he said in a statement. [4] But the verdict is likely the end of the road for justice at the ICC for victims in the Central African Republic. [4] In 2022, then-chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was closing the court's 15-year investigation into crimes in the country, citing limited resources. [4]
Other Global Crime Developments
In a separate development, French customs authorities seized 3.9 tonnes of cocaine on 10 September hidden inside a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived at the northern French port of Dunkirk from Ghana, with an estimated value of €225 million. [1] The Bishops of Ghana said the seizure must not be treated as an isolated incident but as part of a wider problem, noting that Ghana's geographical position and participation in international trade make vigilance at ports, airports and borders especially important. [1] The statement signed by Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, added that Ghana is not only a transit country but has also become a country where drugs are consumed, with concerns over drug abuse among young people and the corrosive effect of drug money on institutions. [1] Italian police found over three million euros in cash stashed inside the walls of an alleged drug lord's house following a tip-off, a top anti-mafia prosecutor told AFP. [2] In Southeast Asia, hundreds of thousands of people working in fraud centres are scamming people across the world, with US authorities suggesting the fraudsters are responsible for scams worth almost $10 billion a year against US nationals alone, and victims in Europe, the UK and China also targeted. [3] Human rights groups further warn that those working in the centres are often themselves victims of human trafficking forced to work as slaves. [3]
What to watch next: The ICC will deliver a sentence for Said at a later date while the court's 2022 decision to close its investigation into crimes in the Central African Republic due to limited resources leaves ongoing accountability challenges for victims in the country.
