War crimes suspect Alfred Yekatom, wanted for alleged murder, deportation and torture of Muslims in the Central African Republic, appears before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands November 23, 2018.
A war crimes suspect from the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for a pre-trial hearing.
The court heard Alfred Yekatom who commanded a group of Christian militias, known as the anti-balaka, had committed crimes against humanity, the ICC said in a statement.
He is accused of torturing, murdering and forcing tens of thousands of Muslims to flee the country from December 2013 to August 2014.
The pre-trial court said it found reasonable grounds to believe he committed or otherwise ordered the crimes.
Tunisian activists are calling for protests against an anticipated visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.The protest calls come in the aftermath of the Oct. 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul."We will protest the visit by a top official [bin Salman] who is waging a brutal war on the Yemeni people and who is involved in the barbaric murder of a Saudi citizen [Khashoggi]," Tunisian activist Tareq al-Kahlawi told Anadolu Agency."This individual should be investigated and prosecuted based on what has been revealed about his involvement in the Khashoggi murder case," he said.Germany urges Saudi Arabia to cooperate with TurkeyAl-Kahlawi went on to assert that Tunisia “respects human rights and therefore cannot accept a visit by this person”.In remarks carried by local media outlets, Saida Karach, a spokeswoman for the Tunisian presidency, confirmed that the Saudi crown prince planned to visit the North African country next Tuesday.“The visit comes upon the request of Crown Prince bin Salman as part of a 10-nation tour that he plans to embark on,” she added.Erdoğan to decide whether to meet bin Salman on G20 sidelines: Turkish FMEarlier this week, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Abdulaziz al-Falih said the crown prince planned to attend a G20 summit in Argentina on Nov. 30 as part of a wider international tour.Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.After weeks of changing its story, Saudi Arabia eventually claimed that Khashoggi had been killed in a botched rendition operation by rogue Saudi agents.Trump dismisses CIA Khashoggi conclusion as 'feelings'
Tunisians urge demonstrations ahead of bin Salman visit
Yekatom was arrested in CAR late last month and handed over to the court on Nov. 17.
CAR, a mineral rich country descended into conflict in 2013 after seleka rebels, said to be predominantly Muslim, ousted the government of President Francois Bozize, a Christian, and installed Michel Djotodia, a Muslim.
Thousands of both Muslim and Christian civilians have fled their homes to internally displaced peoples camps or across neighboring countries.
Despite electing a new president, the country is still plagued by tit-for-tat communal violence.
A high-level investigation team set up by the African Union Commission on Friday revealed their findings on alleged abuses within the commission.The team issued a report including a 7-point list of malpractices within the Pan African body's commission."Following allegations of harassment against women leveled through an anonymous letter, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission instituted a High-Level Committee (HLC) on 24 May 2018 to fully investigate all these allegations," read the report.Daesh claims attacks in West Africa caused 118 casualtiesAccording to the report, the chairperson of the commission also entrusted the HLC with a mandate to investigate all alleged institutional malpractices within the commission on March 15, 2017. The aim of the investigation was to independently establish the facts in the light of the commitment he made to staff on assumption of duty to ensure good internal governance throughout the entire commission.Accordingly, the team identified malpractices in Human Resource functions, cases of harassment, bullying and intimidation, governance challenges, gender discrimination, fraud and corruption, impunity and sexual harassment.This is the first scandal openly exposed within the African Union Commission in recent years.
African Union reveals list of abuses within commission
Daesh claimed responsibility for five attacks in an area it calls the "State of West Africa" that it said resulted in 118 casualties in the past week, according to a video posted on its account on the messaging website Telegram late on Thursday.The militant group, which typically uses the "State of West Africa" to refer to Nigeria, made the claim in a video presentation of attacks it says it carried out between Nov. 16 and 22. It did not specify the number of people killed in the attacks, referring only to 118 casualties.Five security sources told Reuters more than 100 soldiers had been killed in attacks in Nigeria in recent days, one of the highest death tolls since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015. It could raise pressure on him ahead of an election in February since he has claimed victory over the nine-year insurgency.Eight killed in attack on Foraco well site in NigerThe sources said the insurgents attacked a military base in the village of Metele in northeastern Borno state, the epicentre of a revolt by Boko Haram and splinter group Daesh in West Africa.Daesh, in a statement released on Monday, said it attacked an army base on Sunday in Metele and killed at least 40 Nigerian soldiers. The group said it burned down the base after the attack finished.A Nigerian presidency spokesman on Thursday said the military would issue a statement and military spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment. The government and military often decline to acknowledge the scale of losses in the northeast. Nigerian opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar seeks to boost oil investments
Daesh claims attacks in West Africa caused 118 casualties