The two men are charged over their roles in the ongoing Central African Republic civil war, which has killed thousands and displaced over a million people since 2012.
Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former Central African Republic militia leader, attends his war-crimes trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday. (Photo by ICC-CPI)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) Two former Central African Republic militia leaders pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges of murder, torture and the destruction of religious sites at the start of their trial Tuesday before the International Criminal Court.
Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yékatom were both present in the ICC’s courtroom in The Hague, where the prosecution outlined how they plan to connect the two men to violence in the landlocked African country between 2013 and 2014.
English News and Press Release on Central African Republic about Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and Protection and Human Rights; published on 07 Feb 2021 by HRW
The trial of two anti-balaka leaders opening on February 9, 2021 will be the first before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for serious crimes committed in the conflict in the Central African Republic since 2012.