A sitting Member of Parliament, accused by the UN of carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Central African Republic’s Muslim community, has been detained and extradited to the Hague, reports ABC news.
Alfred Yekatom, also a former militia leader, was wanted for the murder, deportation and torture, enforced disappearance and mutilation.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Yekatom on November 11 “for his alleged criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
In a statement released after the extradition on Saturday to the court the ICC said,
“Yekatom was surrendered to the court by the authorities of the Central African Republic. There are reasonable grounds to believe that, from at September 2013 until at least December 2014, a widespread and systematic, attack was carried out by the Anti-Balaka against the Muslim civilian population and anyone perceived to support the Seleka.”
Court judges found that Mr Yekatom is suspected of commanding 3,000 members of an armed group that carried out attacks on Muslims.
Mr Yekatom was surrendered to the court by authorities of the CAR.
The CAR has been marred by violence between Muslim Seleka rebels and Christian Anti-Balaka militias.
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