The International Criminal Court (ICC) unsealed an arrest warrant on Thursday for Edmon Beina, an alleged rebel leader accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. These charges stem from violence committed more than a decade ago in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Beina, who commanded a group of 100 to 400 fighters, is accused of leading a brutal campaign in 2014. Prosecutors say his group was responsible for massacring Muslim civilians in a western CAR village. These actions took place during a period of intense sectarian violence between the anti-Balaka militia and the Seleka rebel force.
The anti-Balaka, largely composed of Christian fighters, clashed with the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels from 2013 to 2014. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. The violence continues to plague the country, which has struggled with instability since Seleka rebels ousted President François Bozizé in 2013.
The ICC judges lifted the seal on Beina’s warrant after a challenge to the case’s admissibility was made by the Central African Republic. However, the court did not disclose the specifics of this challenge.
The charges against Beina include a horrific massacre in the village of Guen between February and April 2014. Prosecutors allege Beina and his men executed at least 42 Muslim men and boys, after separating them from women and children.
The ICC is already holding three other individuals on trial for their involvement in the CAR’s sectarian violence. The unsealing of Beina’s arrest warrant brings renewed attention to the ongoing crisis in the region.
