#ICC starts 2nd trial regarding atrocity crimes in #CentralAfricanRepublic, #CAR. Mr Alfred #Yekatom & Mr Patrice-Edouard #Ngaïssona are charged with crimes between 2013-4. The 1st CAR-trial concerned Jean-Pierre #Bemba Gombo for crimes between 2002-3—he was acquitted on appeal.

The context ("CAR-II”) concerns the violent conflict in #CAR between #Séléka and #AntiBalaka armed groups since 1 August 2012. Besides Anti-Balaka members #Yekatom and #Ngaïssona, the #ICC has in custody Mr Mahamat Saïd Abdel Kani, a Séléka member

Alfred #Yekatom (aka “ #Rambo") is former caporal-chef in the Forces Armées Centrafricaines, member of parliament and executive of the Confederation of African Football ( #CAF); Patrice-Edouard #Ngaïssona is former National General Coordinator of the #AntiBalaka #ICC

#Ngaïssona is charged with #crimesagainsthumanity and #warcrimes, including: murder, extermination, deportation, torture, rape, persecution, cruel treatment, mutilation, attacking civilians and buildings, pillaging, child soldiering, destruction of property #ICC

#Yekatom is charged with #crimesagainsthumanity & #warcrimes, including: murder, deportation, imprisonment, torture, persecution, cruel treatment, mutilation, attacking civilians and buildings, child sodiering, displacement of civilian population and destruction of property #ICC

Judges are: Bertram Schmitt (Germany), Peter Kovács (Hungary) and Chang-ho Chung (South Korea); Prosecution: Fatou Bensouda & Kweku Vanderpuye; Defence: Mylène Dimitri for #Yekatom and Geert-Jan Knoops for #Ngaïssona #ICC

Legal Representatives of 325 victims are: Dmytro Suprun, Abdou Dangabo Moussa, Elisabeth Rabesandratana, Yaré Fall, and Marie-Edith Douzima-Lawson #ICC

This week the Prosecution, Victims’ Representatives and #Ngaïssona Defence will deliver their opening statements. #Yekatom’s Defence will make its opening statements at the beginning of the presentation of its evidence #ICC

On 15 March, the Prosecution will begin to present its evidence and call its first witnesses #ICC

Today (and maybe into tomorrow), the Prosecution has six hours to present their case. Fatou #Bensouda, the Chief Prosecutor is not in Court but is expected to deliver opening statements (her last as #ICC Prosecutor) from a distant location

Charges are being read. Accused will be asked if they understand the charges and whether they make an admission of guilt or plead not guilty #ICC

#Ngaïssona does not “recognise himself in the charges against him” and says he is “not guilty”
#Yekatom “categorically” rejects all the charges
#ICC

Judge Schmitt tells Professor Knoops the Chamber will follow a common law approach, and that it will not prohibit leading question

Prosecution, headed by Kweku Vanderpuye, starts opening statements (few words in French, then US English). Says this is only the first trial about the Central African Republic (concerning #antibalaka) and that investigations into other crimes (by Seleka) are under way

Vanderpuye: summarises context, alleges accused, particularly Ngaïssona, engaged "in a strategy, a plan”, with #AntiBalaka to forcibly remove the regime (backed by #Séléka) by attacking (under command of #Yekatom) Muslim civilians of the Central African Republic.

Vanderpuye says the criminal trial “is not a referendum”. Chamber takes a coffee break after which Vanderpuye will unfold the Prosecution’s case theory and narrative of what happened in #CAR and the alleged role played therein by #Ngaïssona and #Yekatom #ICC

Vanderpuye. There are 6000 pieces of evidence in this case (documents from Governments, Intelligence Services, UN, NGOs, Humanitarian orgs.; audio-visuals, call-data, and email and social media exchanges).

There about 150 witnesses in this case, including victims, journalists, experts and insiders

Vanderpuye sketches geographical, social and political context of mass violence and the formation of the #antibalaka movement

Amongst the most important figures in the formation of the #antibalaka movement, says Vanderpuye, was ousted President François #Bozizé

#Bozizé and his “inner-circle” (including #Ngaïssona) met in #France to create a group to reclaim power after the March 2013 coup.

In December 2013 “Christians were warned” in advance of #AntiBalaka attacks against Muslim civilians

Vanderpuye continues: the #antibalaka’s motive for violence against Seleka and Muslim civilians in 2014 was “payback”

Vanderpuye discusses the escalation and persistence of violence and armed conflict between 2012-14, as well as international mediation and intervention.

Vanderpuye: both charged and uncharged violent events show the antibalaka’s “capacity to plan and execute a military campaign".