00:00After more than five years of legal proceedings, the International Criminal Courts delivered
00:05its long-awaited verdict on Thursday in the trial of former anti-Balaka militia leaders
00:11Alfred Yacatom and Patrice Edouard Nengantona, a 15-year sentence in prison for Yacatom and
00:1712 years for Nengantona.
00:19Both were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the intercommunal
00:25conflict that shook the Central African Republic between 2013 and 2014.
00:31Reactions to the verdict were stark in Bangui.
00:37This trial took a long time and there were deaths.
00:40We are satisfied because Nengantona was sentenced to 12 years and Yacatom, also known as Rambo,
00:46to 15 years in prison.
00:48For us victims, what we ask of the courts now is to consider how it can provide reparations.
00:55We thought the judges as wise individuals who could carefully reflect and analyse the situation
01:02that Central Africans across the country experienced in 2013 and 2014 in order to deliver a fair
01:09ruling.
01:19Unfortunately, I can tell that they were influenced by the Bangui regime.
01:23They imposed charges that do not reflect the reality of former President Patrice Edouard Nengantona
01:28and we denounced this.
01:36Nengantona and Rambo are sons of this country.
01:38They were my Central African brothers despite their crimes.
01:41There is justice here in the Central African Republic.
01:43They could have been tried here.
01:44Their presence at the ICC brings us nothing and will not help rebuild our country.
01:48We should bring them back here, try them and forgive them so we can move forward.
01:51Some victims and human rights groups are also calling for the warlords who recently signed
01:58a peace deal with the government to be held accountable.
02:02They argue that without justice on all sides, it will be difficult for the country to achieve
02:06lasting peace, especially with upcoming elections quickly approaching.
02:10The GCH, Kopapa, Bangui, African News.
Comments