An unprecedented conviction in the Central African Republic. Five militia leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment for "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity", for their role in the massacre of dozens of civilians in 2017 in this country mourned by civil war since seven years.

Two of the men convicted by the Bangui Criminal Court are Crépin Wakanam, known as "Pino Pino", and Kevin Bere Bere, known as "Béré-Béré", the main leaders of an anti-balaka armed group. These largely Christian and animist self-defense militias carried out a massacre in Bangassou, in the south, against Muslim civilians on May 13, 2017.

"This is the first time that a conviction for crimes against humanity has been pronounced by a Central African court," justice minister Flavien Mbata told AFP by telephone, which the International Federation confirmed for Human Rights (FIDH).

"General Pino-Pino" and "Lieutenant Béré-Béré" were at the head of an anti-balaka militia which had notably attacked on May 13, 2017 the district of Tokoyo and a UN base in the locality of Bangassou .

According to the UN, the assault that day, as well as clashes the days before and after, left 72 dead, 76 injured and 4,400 displaced. Members of the Muslim community who were refugees in the Catholic church in that city were particularly targeted on May 13.

Ten peacekeepers were also killed in attacks by militiamen between May and November 2017 in and around Bangassou.

The verdicts, read by the President of the Court for each of the accused before a courtroom filled with police and soldiers, are only subject to cassation proceedings.

A total of 28 defendants were tried by the Bangui Criminal Court for "crimes against humanity, war crimes, looting and murder". Three others were sentenced to the same sentence and for the same leaders as Béré-Béré and Pino-Pino as militia executives: Romaric Mandago, Patrick Gbiako and Yembeline Mbenguia Alpha.

The rest of the accused, combatants in the group, were sentenced to terms ranging from 10 to 15 years of forced labor, including for assassinations and illegal possession of weapons.

Two thirds of the Central African Republic in the hands of armed groups

The FIDH welcomed in a press release "this verdict, which demonstrates the growing will of the Central African judicial authorities to bring to fruition leading trials against those responsible for the international violence and crimes who have mourned" this country among the poorest in the world since more than seven years.

The Central African Republic has been plunged into a deadly civil war since President François Bozizé was overthrown in 2013 by the Seleka, a coalition of mainly Muslim rebel groups. Popular militias, the anti-balaka, had been created to fight the Seleka, dragging the country into a hellish spiral of violence and fighting.

The signing, a year ago, of a peace agreement in Khartoum between the government of Bangui and 14 armed groups has led to a significant drop in clashes. But the country remains shaken by regular fighting and crimes of which many civilians are still victims. Two thirds of the territory remains in the hands of rival armed groups.

With AFP

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