Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, once the head of the Central African Republic football federation, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the International Criminal Court after being found guilty of 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He was convicted alongside Alfred Yekatom, a former MP and militia commander, who received a 15-year sentence for 20 similar charges.

The two were accused of orchestrating brutal attacks against the Muslim population during the conflict in 2013 and 2014, when religious violence engulfed the country.

The court found that Ngaïssona played a leading role in supporting anti-Balaka militias that targeted Muslims, while Yekatom led fighters who carried out killings in the capital, Bangui.

The judges delivered their verdict after nearly four years of hearings that involved more than 170 witnesses and close to 20,000 pieces of evidence.

Ngaïssona was found guilty of crimes such as murder, torture, and religious persecution, but was acquitted of rape. Yekatom was cleared of recruiting child soldiers.

Both men had denied all charges throughout the trial. The court heard that Ngaïssona provided money and orders to anti-Balaka fighters in 2013 and 2014, while Yekatom led a group that stormed Bangui on 5 December 2013.

The attack resulted in the deaths of many civilians and forced half the city’s population to flee.

The prosecution said the violence was systematic and targeted, describing the accused's intent as aiming to eliminate Muslims, who were labelled as “enemies of the nation.”

Yekatom was said to have allowed and authorised brutal methods, including slitting throats, cutting off ears and burying victims alive.

CAR descended into chaos in 2013 after the Muslim-led Séléka rebels overthrew President François Bozizé, prompting the rise of the largely Christian anti-Balaka militias in retaliation.

At the height of the fighting in December that year, media reports indicated that at least 1,000 people were killed in Bangui alone.

Ngaïssona previously served as the sports minister and was elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football in 2018. His appointment drew criticism from rights groups.

“If the allegations were true, I wouldn't be here today,” he said at the time. “I don't mix politics and sport – everything I've done has been for the good of my country.”

He was arrested in France in December 2018 and transferred to the ICC a month later. Ngaïssona had earlier been barred from running for president in 2015 due to his alleged role in the atrocities.

Yekatom, also known by the nickname “Rambo,” had been under UN sanctions but was elected MP in 2016. He was arrested in October 2018 after firing a gun in parliament during an argument and fleeing the scene.

His extradition to the ICC marked the first of its kind from CAR. The International Federation for Human Rights welcomed it as a sign of the country’s willingness to confront impunity.

Despite years of violence, a recent peace deal led to the disbanding of two armed groups earlier this month.