Judgment against ex-militia leader Said: A step towards coming to terms with it

In a simple blue sweatshirt, with messy hair and a graying beard, Mahamat Said Abdel Kani sat motionless in the dock on Tuesday as the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, read out their verdict: Said was found guilty of crimes against humanity in four cases, including persecution and torture.

The 56-year-old former commander of the Muslim Seleka militia was certified by presiding judge Miatta Maria Samba as having played a key role in the crimes committed by the militia during the civil war in the Central African Republic. The subject of the proceedings was his role in the “Central Office for Combating Banditry” between April 12, 2013 and August 30, 2013.

According to prosecutors, suspected supporters of then-President François Bozizé were beaten and tortured here. As the de facto prison director, Said is said to have been responsible for this, especially at a time when the Seleka attacks in Bangui were at their peak. According to witness statements, victims were held in the prison under inhumane conditions. Said is also said to have personally taken part in the abuse. These are allegations that Said denies.

Originally from Bria, a city in the east of the Central African Republic, Said joined the Seleka militia in 2012 and quickly rose through its ranks. The Seleka, a predominantly Muslim militia, had been brutal during the Central African Republic's civil war, often carrying out attacks on rival Christian-majority groups.

In March 2013, the rebel group captured the capital Bangui, looted the city, attacked civilians and overthrew President François Bozizé. The change of power caused the country to finally sink into conflict.

At the end of 2013, Christian and animist militias known as Anti-Balaka began organizing counterattacks against the Seleka, also committing serious crimes against the civilian population. According to UN estimates, thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and more than 1.4 million people have been forced to flee.

In January 2021, Said was finally transferred to the ICC by the Central African Republic authorities after the court issued a sealed arrest warrant against him in 2019.

Around 61 witnesses testified against Said in the complex trial that lasted 130 days and confirmed the alleged crimes. While the ICC has been investigating the bloody conflict in the Central African Republic since 2014 and has already convicted two anti-Balaka leaders, Said is the first Seleka member to be convicted. The sentence against him will be decided at a separate hearing. The verdict is seen as a significant step towards coming to terms with the serious crimes committed by the two main parties to the conflict in the country's civil war.