The Hague, Netherlands (Running Africa) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted former Seleka commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity over abuses committed at a detention facility in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2013.

ICC judges found Said guilty on four counts, including torture and persecution, following allegations that he oversaw the detention and abuse of people suspected of supporting former Central African Republic President François Bozizé.

The court found that detainees held at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry in Bangui were subjected to severe mistreatment.

Mahamat Said Acquitted of Several War Crimes Charges

While convicting Said of crimes against humanity, the ICC acquitted him of several war crimes charges.

Judges determined that the armed conflict relevant to those charges had ended by the time some of the alleged offences occurred, meaning they could not qualify as war crimes under the charges before the court.

Said denied the allegations throughout his trial.

First Seleka Member Convicted by ICC

The ruling makes Said the first member of the Seleka coalition to be convicted by the International Criminal Court.

He surrendered to the ICC in January 2021, and his trial opened in September 2022.

A separate hearing will determine his sentence. The ICC can impose prison terms of up to 30 years and, in exceptional circumstances, life imprisonment.

Seleka’s Role in Central African Republic Conflict

The Seleka coalition seized power in the Central African Republic in 2013 after overthrowing Bozizé, setting off another period of violence involving rival armed groups.

The ICC has investigated crimes committed during the conflict as part of its second investigation into the Central African Republic.

Said’s conviction marks another major ruling arising from the court’s investigations into atrocities committed during the country’s years of conflict.