ICC Hears Closing Arguments in a Case Involving an Alleged CAR Militia Commander

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague began presenting their closing arguments on Tuesday against Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, an alleged rebel commander from the Central African Republic. Said faces multiple charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

According to prosecutors, Said oversaw the torture, persecution, and enforced disappearances of detainees at several prisons in the capital, Bangui, in 2013. He is accused of playing a key role as part of the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition that overthrew then-President Francois Bozizé during the country’s civil conflict that year. The Seleka’s rule later triggered the rise of rival Christian-dominated anti-Balaka militias.

Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told the court that women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities were among those who suffered horrific acts of abuse under Seleka control. Niang said evidence and witness testimony showed that Said had full authority over the detention centers where inmates were unlawfully held and mistreated, and that he personally participated in the abuse. Said has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defence team maintains that the prosecution’s evidence is unreliable and fails to link him to the alleged crimes directly.

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