ICC convicts Central African rebel commander Mahamat Said of crimes against humanity

Verdict at The Hague

Judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani on Wednesday of four counts of crimes against humanity. The 56-year-old former rebel commander oversaw unlawful imprisonment, torture, persecution and other inhumane acts in 2013 while in charge of the Central Office for the Suppression of Banditry, known as the OCRB, in Bangui. Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba announced the decision following an hourlong hearing in which Said, wearing a blue sweater and jeans, remained largely expressionless and shook his head several times. The court acquitted Said of war crimes charges, finding that guilt was established beyond reasonable doubt exclusively for the crimes against humanity counts. Said had denied all charges throughout the proceedings, and both the defense and prosecution retain the right to appeal the verdict.

“He had the leadership and gave the orders.”

Conditions at the OCRB facility

The court established that Said directed operations at the police special unit compound, which prosecutors characterized during the trial as a torture centre. Detainees held at the site were subjected to systematic abuse, including beatings with rifle butts, whipping, and having their hands, elbows and feet tied together behind their backs. Guards doused prisoners with water after administering beatings, while Said directly participated in interrogations and witnessed the mistreatment. Several prisoners were confined in a small, dark and unventilated underground cell located directly beneath Said's office. The chamber lacked sanitary installations, forcing detainees to urinate and defecate on a floor covered in refuse and feces.

Civil war and previous convictions

The crimes took place during the civil conflict that erupted after the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition seized power in 2013 and ousted President Francois Bozize. Following the coup, Seleka fighters targeted suspected supporters of Bozize, who had himself taken power in a 2002 coup, leading to sectarian clashes between Seleka forces and Christian-dominated Anti-Balaka militias. According to United Nations figures, more than 700,000 people fled the country into neighbouring states during the ensuing violence. CAR authorities arrested Said and transferred him to custody in The Hague in January 2021. Said is the first Seleka commander convicted by the ICC, following earlier convictions against two commanders from the opposing Anti-Balaka militias.

Reactions and sentencing

The court will determine the sentence for Said at a separate hearing to be scheduled at a later date. Human rights advocates and former prisoners followed the delivery of the verdict live from the Central African Republic. Olivier Marius Poussinga, a former detainee who had been held at the OCRB facility under Said's command, described the judgment as an initial measure of relief for victims.

“As the first ICC verdict against a senior Seleka commander, the judgment delivered against Mahamat Said Abdel Kani constitutes a very important step in the fight against impunity for grave crimes committed in the CAR. The verdict is also a moment to recall the abuses that continue in the country and the need for support for transnational and national justice efforts.”

Civil society representatives in the Central African Republic expressed differing views regarding Said's rank within the rebellion. Bruno Hyacinthe Gbiegbia of the Network of Human Rights Promotion and Protection Organizations questioned whether Said was a primary leader of the Seleka, arguing that judicial efforts should pursue the principal commanders of both the Seleka coalition and the Anti-Balaka factions.