Chadian authorities have turned over a former militia leader Eli Mokom from the Central African Republic (CAR) to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Eli Mokom led an anti-Balaka militia and is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes in 2013 and 2014. In 2018, a warrant for his arrest was issued.
According to the ICC, Mokom, 43, is suspected of extermination, forceful population transfer, torture, mutilation, and enlistment of child soldiers, among other crimes.
According to a statement from the Hague-based court, Mokom will appear before a pre-trial chamber in due time.
After Muslim rebels known as Seleka took power in March 2013, violence erupted in the Central African Republic. Their control prompted Christian insurgents to create anti-Balaka militias.
According to the UN, thousands of people have been killed and at least a million have been displaced in CAR since 2013.
Several rebel leaders from both factions have been imprisoned for crimes against humanity.
After the 2013 unrest, Chadian soldiers acted as peacekeepers in CAR, but they withdrew after being accused of colluding with militants.
The Central African Republic conflict resumed again in 2015 when the government rejected the agreement by Seleka and Anti-Balaka forces. The conflict has displaced over 466,000 people– most of who are now refugees in other neighbouring countries.
