Former Head of Central African Football Body Jailed for War Crimes

Ngaïssona appearing before the Court (image source)

The former president of the Central African Republic (CAR) Football Federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, has been convicted of 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a historic ruling linking sports leadership to armed conflict. Ngaïssona, who once served as Sports Minister and later sat on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He stood trial alongside Alfred Yekatom, a former rebel commander known as “Rambo,” who was convicted on 20 counts and sentenced to 15 years. The crimes include murder, torture, persecution, and attacks on civilians, mainly targeting CAR’s Muslim population during a brutal conflict in 2013–2014.

According to ICC prosecutors, Ngaïssona helped fund, organize, and command anti-Balaka militias—a Christian-dominated armed group that rose in opposition to the Séléka, a largely Muslim coalition that had overthrown the government earlier in 2013. Yekatom, a senior anti-Balaka commander, was accused of leading troops into the capital Bangui on December 5, 2013, where some of the most heinous massacres occurred. The trial, which lasted nearly four years, featured over 170 witnesses and examined nearly 20,000 pieces of evidence. Judges noted that the pair deliberately enabled widespread atrocities, including killings, forced displacement, and persecution based on religion. Ngaïssona was acquitted of rape, and Yekatom was cleared of child soldier recruitment, though both were found guilty of multiple other charges.

The prosecution alleged that Ngaïssona and Yekatom aimed to “make all Muslims enemies of the state,” directing fighters to commit horrific acts such as slitting throats, cutting off ears, and burying victims alive. Media accounts at the time reported over 1,000 deaths in Bangui alone in December 2013, and nearly half the city's population fled during that period. CAR’s descent into chaos began in 2013 when the Séléka rebel coalition seized power, prompting backlash from anti-Balaka militias. The violent sectarian conflict drew widespread international condemnation, leading to multiple failed peace deals. However, a 2025 peace accord recently saw the dissolution of two major rebel groups, raising hopes of lasting stability.

Ngaïssona’s sports credentials added to the controversy. He led CAR’s football federation and, despite widespread allegations of his involvement in atrocities, was elected to CAF’s executive committee in 2018. Human rights groups condemned his appointment. His arrest by French authorities in December 2018 and subsequent extradition to The Hague in January 2019 were hailed as a victory for international justice. While both Ngaïssona and Yekatom denied the charges, the court’s judgment signals a strong precedent that even political or sports figures are not above the law in cases of gross human rights violations. The verdict is also viewed as a step toward justice for victims of one of Africa’s most underreported yet devastating civil conflicts of the past decade.