Mahamat Said Abdel Kani
Mahamat Said Abdel Kani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 February 1970 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Séléka |
| Years of service | 2012–2013 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | FPRC |
| Years of service | 2014–2021 |
Mahamat Said Abdel Kani(born 25 February 1970) is a former general ofFPRCand commander ofSélékawho was arrested in 2021 on suspicion forwar crimesandcrimes against humanity.Said is the first Séléka commander to face charges at theInternational Criminal Court(ICC).[1]
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Born into a family of diamond collector on 25 February 1970 inBria,[2]Said joined theConvention of Patriots for Justice and Peace(CPJP) rebel group in 2008 to avenge his nephew's death. He participated in rebel attack 20 kilometer from Bria in 2008.[3][4][5]
Séléka[edit]
Said participated in theBattle of Bangui.After the victory of Séléka in March 2013, the Minister of Public Security,Noureddine Adam,appointed Said as the director of the Central African Bureau for the Repression of Organised Crime (OCRB) on 12 April 2013.[3][4]
As director of OCRB, Said was responsible for torture, imprisonment, persecution, and enforced disappearances. He resigned as the director of OCRB in January 2014.[5][3]
Post-Séléka[edit]
After the dissolution of Séléka, Said joined theFPRC.As a member of FPRC, he was a diamond dealer who heavily contributed to the FPRC budget. He owned several diamond mines in the Bria and Nzacko regions.[3][6]
In mid-December 2020, Said joined the anti-government rebel coalition,CPC.As a member of CPC, he was one of the orchestrators of CPC attacks inNzackoandBakouma.[3]
Arrest and trial[edit]
On 7 January 2019 the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Said for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was arrested byMINUSCAon 20 January 2021 in Bria. He was brought to Camp de Roux, Bangui and transferred to the ICC headquarters inDen Haagon 24 January 2021.[3][5]The Office of the Prosecutor alleged that in 2013 he had ordered and participated in the illegal imprisonment and torture of those he suspected of supporting former PresidentFrançois Bozizé,in his capacity as director of OCRB.[2]
Said's trial began on 26 September 2022. He pleaded not guilty.[7]
Personal life[edit]
He can speak Sango, French, and Arabic.[4]His brother, Kousko Abdel Kani, was a former FPRC general and was arrested in November 2021 byWagner Groupin Bria.[8]
References[edit]
- ^HRW, HRW."Central African Republic: First Seleka Suspect in ICC Custody".hrw.org.Human Rights Watch.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^ab"Case Information Sheet The Prosecutor v. Mahamat Said Abdel Kani"(PDF).International Criminal Court. February 2023. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 July 2023.
- ^abcdefGrilhot, Gael."CENTRAFRIQUE: L'AVERTISSEMENT DE LA CPI".justiceinfo.net.Justice Info.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^abcInternational Federation for Human Rights (February 2003).République centrafricaine: Un pays aux mains des criminels de guerre de la Séléka(PDF)(Report). International Federation for Human Rights. p. 44.
- ^abcMoloma, Gi sắc le."RCA: transfert de Mahamat Saïd à la CPI, le FPRC lance un ultimatum à la Minusca".corbeaunews-centrafrique.Corbeaunews Centrafrique.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^The Sentry, The Sentry."Breaking: ICC Fugitive Arrested in Central African Republic, Headed to Hague".thesentry.org.The Sentry.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^Joyner, Ella."CAR rebel leader pleads not guilty at Hague".dw.DW.Retrieved17 April2023.
- ^Banafio, Moïse."RCA: l'ex-général du FPRC Kousko Abdel Kani interpellé et transféré à Bangui".corbeaunews-centrafrique.Corbeaunews Centrafrique.Retrieved17 April2023.