Former Central African Football Chief Sentenced for War Crimes

‎Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, the former head of the Central African Republic’s football federation, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity. His co-accused, Alfred Yekatom, also known as “Rambo,” received a 15-year sentence after being found guilty of 20 similar charges.

‎The verdict follows a nearly four-year-long trial involving over 170 witnesses and almost 20,000 pieces of evidence. The pair was accused of orchestrating attacks against Muslim civilians during the 2013–2014 sectarian conflict in CAR. Ngaïssona, who once served as a sports minister and was a member of the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee, was a key figure in the anti-Balaka Christian militia.

‎The court found that Ngaïssona helped fund and direct anti-Balaka groups that carried out brutal attacks, including killings, torture, and persecution based on religion. Yekatom was said to have led fighters into the capital, Bangui, where they committed atrocities such as throat-slitting and burying victims alive. Prosecutors argued that the two men targeted Muslims as part of a systematic campaign of violence.

‎While Ngaïssona was acquitted of rape and Yekatom of recruiting child soldiers, both denied all charges during the trial.

‎The conflict in CAR began when the Muslim-majority Séléka rebels ousted President François Bozizé in 2013, triggering the rise of the anti-Balaka militias. At least 1,000 people were killed in Bangui in December 2013 alone, and half the city’s population was displaced.

‎Ngaïssona, once barred from running for president due to his involvement in the violence, claimed his actions were for the nation’s benefit. He was arrested by French authorities in 2018 and handed over to the ICC the following year.