Former CAR militia leader extradited for ICC trial

An MP and former militia leader in the CAR has been extradited to The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity. Alfred Yekatom arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention centre on Saturday. Legalbrief reports that it marks the first extradition to the court from the CAR. The ICC alleges that Christian militias under Yekatom, who was once nicknamed 'Rambo', were found by a UN commission of inquiry to have carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity by targeting the CAR's Muslim population. ABC News reports that he was wanted for alleged murder, deportation and torture, as well as enforced disappearance, mutilation and the recruitment of child soldiers. The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Yekatom on 11 November 'for his alleged criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity'. He was subsequently 'surrendered to the court' by the CAR authorities. Prosecutors say Yekatom is suspected of commanding about 3 000 members of an armed group operating within the Christian Anti-Balaka movement that was carrying out the attack on Muslims.

BBC News reports that sectarian violence continues to grip the country, with nearly 40 people dying in clashes on Friday in the centre of the country. A UN peacekeeper died of injuries he received in a gunfight during an attack on a base in the west of the country. A priest was also burnt to death in a central town, and the UN said thousands of people were forced to flee violence. About 13 000 UN peacekeepers are deployed in the country at a cost of nearly $900m per year.