Former Central African Republic soccer federation president Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, a rebel leader ...

The fighting began in February 2003, when African rebel groups rose up against what they saw as unfair treatment by the government. Khartoum is accused of backing the Janjaweed.

The fighters were led by members of rebel groups which had signed a 2007 peace deal with Central African Republic, allowing them to join the regular army in return for putting down their arms.