A former Seleka militia leader has been convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity for his role in the torture and persecution of suspected supporters of the former Central African Republic president, François Bozizé.
Judges found Mahamat Said Abdel Kani guilty of four counts, including persecution and torture. Prosecutors said he oversaw a detention facility in the capital, Bangui, where prisoners accused of supporting Bozizé were beaten and tortured.
Presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba said Said and others had carried out the abuse as part of a plan to target perceived Bozizé supporters.
Said, who denied all charges, showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read. His sentence will be decided at a separate hearing.
The Seleka, a predominantly Muslim rebel coalition, seized power in 2013, forcing Bozizé from office during the Central African Republic's long-running civil conflict.
Their takeover was followed by the emergence of the largely Christian anti-Balaka militias, fuelling further violence.
The ICC has investigated crimes committed in the Central African Republic since 2014 and has previously convicted two anti-Balaka commanders. Said is the first former Seleka member to be convicted by the court.
Judges dismissed several war-crimes charges against him, concluding that the armed conflict had ended when those alleged crimes took place.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
While addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Washington and Tehran will reach a deal after the U.S. midterm elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
Saudi Arabia has restarted its East-West oil pipeline, bringing back an important route for moving crude from the kingdom’s oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
Greenland's government and residents have welcomed a new defence agreement with the U.S. and Denmark that allows Washington to expand its military presence on the Arctic island, although concerns over U.S. intentions remain.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed “significant progress” in discussions on strategic investment projects on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Seoul's presidential office said on Wednesday.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 23 September 2026, featuring five key highlights from the first day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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