Press Release: 11 December 2019 |

Yekatom and Ngaïssona case: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II confirms part of the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity and commits suspects to trial

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Today, 11 December 2019, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court") issued a unanimous decision partially confirming the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity brought by the Prosecutor against Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona and committed them to trial before a Trial Chamber. In view of ensuring protection of victims and witnesses, the decision is confidential and a redacted version of it will be published in due course.

Pre-Trial Chamber II, composed of Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua (Presiding Judge), Judge Tomoko Akane and Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, based its decision on the evidence presented by the Prosecutor and the Defence during the hearing held from 19 to 25 September and on 11 October 2019 as well as their oral and written submissions.

The Chamber found that there are substantial grounds to believe that, between September 2013 and December 2014, an armed conflict not of an international character was ongoing in the territory of the Central African Republic between the Seleka and the Anti-Balaka, both constituting organised armed groups at that time; and that the Anti-Balaka carried out a widespread attack against the Muslim civilian population, perceived – on the basis of their religious or ethnic affiliation – as complicit with, or supportive of the Seleka and therefore collectively responsible for the crimes allegedly committed by them.

With regard to M. Yekatom, the Chamber concluded that there are substantial grounds to believe that he is responsible for: (i) the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, directing attacks against the civilian population, directing attacks against a building dedicated to religion, conscription, enlistment and use of children under the age of 15 years to participate actively in hostilities, and displacement; and (ii) the crimes against humanity of murder, deportation, forcible transfer of population, imprisonment and other forms of severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, persecution and other inhumane acts. The alleged crimes were committed in various locations in the CAR (Bangui, including Cattin; Boeing; Yamwara School and the PK9-Mbaïki Axis). The Chamber found that there are substantial grounds to believe that M. Yekatom has committed the above-mentioned crimes jointly with others or through other persons or, in the alternative, has ordered the commission of these crimes.  

With regard to M. Ngaïssona, the Chamber concluded that there are substantial grounds to believe that he is responsible for: (i) the war crimes of directing attacks against the civilian population, murder, torture, cruel treatment, rape, directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, displacement of the civilian population, destroying the property of an adversary, pillaging; and (ii) the crimes against humanity of murder, deportation, forcible transfer of population, imprisonment and other forms of severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts. The alleged crimes were committed in various locations in the CAR (Bangui, including Cattin; Boeing; Yamwara School; Bossangoa and the PK9-Mbaïki Axis). The Chamber found that there are substantial grounds to believe that M. Ngaïssona aided, abetted or otherwise assisted in the commission of the above-mentioned crimes or, in the alternative, has contributed in any other way to their commission by a group of persons acting with a common purpose.

The Chamber declined to confirm the remaining charges that were not supported by the evidence presented by the Prosecutor.

The decision on the confirmation of the charges only serves to determine whether the Prosecutor's case should proceed to trial. It does not establish the guilt of the two accused persons who are presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt before the Court.

The Defence and the Prosecutor cannot directly appeal the decision confirming the charges. However they can request authorisation from Pre-Trial Chamber II to appeal it. The deadline for such a request will start running after the decision's translation into French is notified.

Non-authoritative summary of the decision on the confirmation of charges

Questions and Answers on the confirmation of charges

For further information on this case, click here.


For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

You can also follow the Court's activities on TwitterFacebookTumblrYouTube, Instagram and Flickr

Lâsô, längö 11 tî nze tî kakaûka ngû 2019, Kôzo Kubû II tî Fängö-ngbanga tî pöpöködörö tëtî Gino (« CPI ») wala « Dangbanga ») amû mbênî yângâ sô zo kûê ayêda na mbâgë tî âbïngö-tënë (accusations) tî âgino tî birä na tî âgino na terê tî âzo sô wabïngö-tënë (procureur) adë nî na terê tî Alfred Yekatom na Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, sï lo tokua âla na dawä tî Kôzo Kubû tî Fängö-ngbanga. Tîtene abata sîrîrî tî âwapâsi na âwakambisa, müngö-yângâ sô angbâ na lïngö, sï müngö-yângâ sô azî mbâgë nî awe, ayeke vunga nî na mbênî tângo.

Kôzo Kubû II tî Fängö-ngbanga, sô âWafängö-ngbanga Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua (moközi wafängö-ngbanga ), na wafängö-gbanga Tomoko Akane na wafängö-gbanga Rosario Salvatore Aitala ayeke na yâ nî, amû yângâ sô alötï na ndö tî âyê-kambisa (éléments de preuve) sô wabïngö-tënë na âWagbüngö-kokö afa na ndembë tî mängö-tënë sô adutî na längö 19 asï na längö 25 tî nze tî mvuka (septembre) ngâ na längö 11 tî nze tî ngberere (octobre) ngû 2019, ngâ na âtondo (observations) sô atene na yângâ, ngâ sô asû na mbëtï.

Kubû ayêda atene âkötä tënë sô afa atene, na pöpö tî nze tî mvuka (septembre) ngû 2013 ngâ na nze tî kakaûka ngû 2014,mbênî birä na ngombe sô ayeke tî pöpöködörö pëpe adutï lânî na ndö tî sêse tî Bêafrîka na pöpö tî âSeleka na âAntî-Balaka, âla ûse kûê ayeke âbûngbi tî birä sô aleke terê na ndembë nî lânî; sï ngâ âAnti-Balaka abi mbênî kötä birä na terê tî âmîsîlîmi sô ayeke âsiwïli, sô abâ âla_ ndâli tî vöröngö-nzapä tî âla wala ndâli tî marä tî âla_ töngana âwamüngö-mabôko wala âzo sô ayê âSeleka, sô tîtene âla kûê ayeke âwakpälë tî âgino sô âSeleka asâra fadë.

Kubû ayêda atene, âkötä tënë sô afa atene, Alfred Yekatom na Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona ayeke fadë âwakpälë tî âgino na terê tî âzo ngâ na tî âgino tî birä sô afa na ngbenî ge, sô asâra fadë nî na ândo ndê ndê (Bangui, sô na yâ nî awara Cattin, na Boeing : Bossoangoa, dambëtï Yamwara ngâ na PK9 lêgë tî Mbaïki) na lêgë tî birä sô : güëngö na birä na mbäna na terê tî asiwili, fango-zo, längöngö na zo na ngangü, güëngo na birä na mbänä na terê tî âda tî vöröngö-nzapä, güëngö wala töngö âzo na ngangü ngâ na zïängö âsiwili na mbênî ndo ndê, bübängö wala gbüngö âkûngba tî âwato, nzïngö âkûngbâ, sïönî gbänzïngö zo tî dutï yamba, âsärängö-yê tî sïönî, dörököngö-zo, âsärängö âmbênî yê sô akpa tî zo pëpe ngâ na särängö ponö na âzo.

Kubû ayêda atene, âköta tënë sô afa atene, Alfred Yekatom asâra fadë âgino lêgëôko na âmbênî zo wala na lêgë tî âmbenî zo, wala töngana mbênî sêngê wamüngö-mabôko, lo mû fadë yângâ tî särängö âgino sô; ngâ pakara Ngaïssona amû fadë mabôko na lo, müngö-mabôko tî lo wala müngö mbênî yê na yâ tî särängö âgino sô, wala töngana mbêni sênge wamüngo-mabôko, lo mû fadë mabôko na mbênî ngôbo ndê na särängô âgino sô, na lêgë tî mbêni bûngbi tî âzo sô asâra yê na lêgë tî mbêni bängö-ndo öko.

Na mbâgë, kubû ayêda atene, âkötä tënë sô afa atene, Alfred Yekatom asâra fadë âgino tî birä na mbênî ndo, müngö âmôlengê nga na zïängo âmôlengê, sô ngû tî âla âde ahon ngû balë-oko na ohü (15) pëpe, tî gue na âla na âbirä lêgëôko na âmbeni, wala na lêgë tî âmbêni zo, wala töngana mbênî sêngê wamüngo-mabôko, lo mu yânga tî särängö âgino sô.

Kubû ake tî yêda na âtanga tî âtënë nî, ngbanga tî sô âyê-kambisa (éléments de preuve) sô Wabïngö-tënë afa ayeke polêlê pëpe.

Müngö-yângâ sô abâ yëngô-da na âkpâlë sô, ayeke gï tî fa sî tënë tî Wabïngö-tënë alîngbi tî gue na dawä tî ngbanga. Müngö-yângâ sô afa polêlê pëpe âkpälë tî âwatënë (accusés) ûsé sô abâ atene tënë ayeke na li tî âla, ngbii töngana afa na dawä tî Dangbanga âkpälë tî âla, sï mbênî adutï da pëpe.

Âwagbüngö-kokö na Wabïngö-tënë alîngbi pëpe tî ke bîakü müngö-yângâ sô afa âkpälë nî. Yêôko, âla lîngbi tî hûnda na Kozo Kubû II tî mû na âla lêgë tî ke nî. Tângo sô amû ndâli tî mbêni hûnda töngasô atônda nî gî na pekô tî gbïänngö müngö-yângâ nî na yângâ tî farânzi sï avunga nî.

Kêtê ndurü sango na ndö tî müngö-yângâ tî yëngo-da na âkpälë (na yângâ tî angelë)

Âhûnda na âpekô tî hûnda na ndö tî yëngö-da na âkpälë

Tî wara gbâ tî âsango na ndö tî tënë sô, pîka kpêkê ndo sô.


Tî wara âsango na ndö ni, âla lîngbi tî bâ Fadi El Abdallah, Wayângâ nga na Mokönzi tî Bungbi tî âtënë tî gïgï, Dangbanga tî pöpöködörö tëtî Gino, na sînga +31(0)70515-9152 wala +31 (0) 6 46448938 wala na aderêsi [email protected]

Alîngbi ngâ tî bâ âkusâla tî CPI na ndö tî âgbanda-tere Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram na Flickr.

Ngbanga tî Yekatom na Ngaïssona : kôzo kubû II tî Fangö-ngbanga tî Dangbanga tî pöpöködörö tëtî Gino ayêda na mbâgë tî âkpälë tî âgino tî birä na tî âgino na terê tî âzo sï lo to kua tënë nî na gbanga