ICC Convicts Former Central African Rebel Commander of War Crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted former Central African Republic rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the abuse of detainees during the country’s civil conflict.

Said, 56, was found guilty of participating in the torture and mistreatment of prisoners while serving as a senior commander at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry detention facility in Bangui in 2013.

Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba said detainees at the facility were subjected to severe physical abuse, torture and degrading conditions. The court found that Said was involved in interrogations and was present during some of the abuse.

Among the methods of torture described during the proceedings was “arbatachar,” in which a detainee’s hands, elbows and feet were tightly restrained behind the back. Prisoners were also reportedly beaten with ropes and whips and subjected to other forms of physical mistreatment.

The court further found that some detainees were held in an underground cell beneath Said’s office. Judges said the cramped facility lacked proper sanitation, ventilation and lighting, with prisoners forced to relieve themselves inside the cell.

Victims who testified before the court described lasting physical and psychological effects from their treatment. Judge Samba said one victim reported that the abuse had left his life severely damaged.

Said was a prominent member of the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition, which seized power from then-President François Bozizé in 2013. The takeover contributed to a prolonged conflict involving Seleka fighters and predominantly Christian and animist anti-Balaka militias.

Thousands of civilians were killed during the conflict, while both sides were accused of serious abuses. French forces deployed under a United Nations mandate later helped government forces regain control of several major cities.

Said was acquitted of three separate war crimes charges. The ICC has yet to determine his sentence, with sentencing proceedings expected at a later date.

The conviction is part of the court’s wider prosecutions related to the Central African Republic conflict. In 2025, the ICC convicted former sports minister Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona and former lawmaker Alfred Yekatom of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Yekatom was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Ngaïssona received a 12-year sentence.

The International Criminal Court, established in 2002, prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when the court has jurisdiction.