Five Central African militia chiefs given life terms over war crimes

Five leaders from a predominantly Christian militia in Central African Republic were given life terms on Friday for war crimes and crimes against humanity after dozens of Muslims were slaughtered in a southeastern town in May 2017.

Twenty-eight individuals were sentenced in all, climaxing a trial at the Criminal Court in the capital Bangui that broke new ground in a country struggling to provide justice for victims of militia violence. "It's the first time that a sentence for crimes against humanity has been handed down by a CAR court," Justice Minister Flavien Mbata said, an assertion backed by the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH).

Two commanders, known by their nicknames of Pino Pino and Bere-Bere, as well as three other senior figures, Romaric Mandago, Patrick Gbiako and Yembeline Mbenguia Alpha, were given life sentences of forced labour. The others were given terms of between 10 and 15 years of forced labour, mainly for murder and illegal possession of weapons.

The sentences can only be appealed once under CAR law. One of the world's poorest countries, the CAR has been grappling with violence since 2013. The "Pino Pino" militia was one of the predominantly Christian and animist armed groups that sprang up to combat a mainly Muslim rebel coalition, the Seleka.

Vicious fighting brought the country to the brink of sectarian war, prompting intervention by France, the former colonial power. CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera now governs with the support of MINUSCA, a 14,700-strong UN peacekeeping force. But armed groups control two-thirds of the country, typically claiming to represent a religious or ethnic group and frequently fighting over its rich mineral resources.