ICC Convicts CAR Militia Leader Mahamat Kani of War Crimes, Torture
The International Criminal Court convicted former Central African Republic militia commander Mahamat Kani on Wednesday of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Judges in The Hague found the ex-Seleka leader guilty of four counts including persecution and torture for running a detention facility in Bangui where supporters of ousted President Francois Bozizé were subjected to inhumane treatment during the 2013 civil war.
Kani controlled the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (OCRB) prison unit, where prisoners suspected of supporting Bozizé faced whippings, body mutilation, and denial of food or water - some drinking their own urine out of desperation. The cell beneath his office, dubbed 'the hole,' held prisoners in dire conditions. His conviction marks the first ICC judgment against a Seleka member; two anti-Balaka leaders were previously convicted.
The 2013 CAR conflict, sparked by Seleka's overthrow of Bozizé over unmet peace agreements, resulted in over 2,600 deaths and 1.2 million displacements as violence escalated between Seleka forces and anti-Balaka militias. Kani was extradited to the ICC in 2021, and a separate hearing will determine his sentence for these atrocities committed during the capital's darkest days of the conflict.