The International Criminal Court (ICC) has revealed an arrest warrant for Edmond Beina, a suspected militia leader accused of leading an attack on Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2014. Although issued in 2018, the warrant was made public on Thursday.
Beina faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including mass killings, murder, rape, and persecution.
Prosecutors allege he commanded hundreds of armed men who assaulted a western village, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 Muslim civilians and the forced displacement of many more.
The CAR has experienced persistent conflict since March 2013, when the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition seized power, triggering the formation of opposing Christian “anti-balaka” militias. The ICC has been investigating the violence in CAR since May 2014 and is currently conducting trials involving two anti-balaka leaders and one Seleka leader.