International Criminal Court: The Surrender of Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka for Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes

International Criminal Court: The Surrender of Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka for Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes
Photo by ICC via flickr

15-03-2022

Grace ATALUI MOKANGO

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

In the framework of cooperation between States Parties to the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court, on 14 March 2022, Mr Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka was surrendered to the Court by the authorities of the Republic of Chad under a warrant of arrest issued under seal on 10 December 2018 in the Central African Republic Situation II.

His arrest warrant was issued on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Bangui and other locations in the Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014. The press release of 14 March 2022 explains the context of the issuance of the said arrest warrant. Pre-Trial Chamber II of the Court concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that there was a non-international armed conflict between September 2013 and December 2014 between the Séléka (a coalition of armed groups mainly composed of Muslims opposed to former president François Bozizé) and the Anti-Balaka (a movement opposed to the Séléka and supporting former president François Bozizé). On the other hand, the Chamber concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Anti-Balaka had launched the attacks against the Muslim civilian population. 

Finally, according to the Chamber, there were reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Mokom, of Central African origin, had the capacity of National Coordinator of Anti-Balaka Operations, thereby rendering himself a suspect in the charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in several locations on the territory of the Republic of Central Africa between 5 December 2013 and at least December 2014. 

The next step will be the initial appearance of Mr. Mokom before Pre-Trial Chamber II, which is composed of Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua, and Judge Tomoko Akane. 





Source and further reading 

International Criminal Court, Situation in Central African Republic II: Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka surrendered to the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes, Press Release, ( 14 March 2022), from: https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/item.aspx?name=pr1646