ABC News
Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest?
OffOn
Central African Republic suspect appears at ICC hearing
An alleged commander in a mainly Muslim rebel group from Central African Republic has appeared before an International Criminal Court judge for the first time since being arrested to face allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes
By MIKE CORDER Associated Press
January 29, 2021, 2:24 PM
• 2 min read
THE HAGUE, Netherlands An alleged commander in a mainly Muslim rebel group from Central African Republic appeared before an International Criminal Court judge Friday for the first time since being arrested to face allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
C.Africa war crimes suspect appears at ICC
29 January 2021By AFP
0 min 52Approximate reading time A Central African Republic war crimes suspect made his first appearance at the International Criminal Court on Friday after being handed over to the Hague-based tribunal. Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, 50, an alleged leader of the Seleka, a rebel coalition drawn largely from the Muslim majority, was surrendered to the custody of the ICC on Sunday by Central African authorities. Violence following the ouster of former leader Francois Bozize in 2013 pitted the Seleka against mainly Christian vigilante self-defence groups known as anti-Balaka. “I will be silent for now and express myself when the time comes,” said Kani, appearing by videolink from the ICC’s detention centre due to restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.
A Central African Republic war crimes suspect made his first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday after being handed over to the Hague-based tribunal.
Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, 50, an alleged leader of the Seleka, an armed group drawn largely from the Muslim minority, was surrendered to the custody of the ICC on Sunday by CAR authorities.
Said faces accusations of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes, including torture, persecution, cruel treatment and enforced disappearances.
The Central African Republic has been mired in violence since Seleka, or “alliance” in the Sango language, seized power in March 2013.
Their brutal rule gave rise to the opposing “Anti-balaka” Christian militias, several of whose former leaders also face charges at the ICC.
Mahamat Said Abdel Kani appears virtually before the International Criminal Court on Friday. (Photo by ICC-CPI)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) After a rocky technical start, a militia leader from the Central African Republic made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on Friday.
Mahamat Said Abdel Kani turned himself in last week to the world’s only permanent court for atrocity crimes, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for commanding the predominantly Muslim rebels known as the Seleka, who overthrew the president of the Central African Republic, or CAR, in 2013.
Originally scheduled for Thursday morning, the hearing had to be moved until Friday due to technical issues. Said appeared, wearing a wrinkled blue and white striped shirt, by video link from the Scheveningen prison in The Hague, where he is being held.
An ex-Central African Republic rebel leader is to appear for the first time before the International Criminal Court on Thursday. Mahamat Said Abdel Kani is facing war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.