US sanctions militia leader in Central African Republic

The U.S. government imposed sanctions on Ali Darassa, a militia leader in Central African Republic (CAR) whose forces it accused of murder, torture, rape and kidnapping.

Darassa is the leader of the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), one of numerous militias that have together controlled most of the national territory since CAR’s last civil war broke out in 2013.

The United States, the United Nations and human rights groups have accused UPC fighters of killing at least 112 people when they attacked a camp for internally displaced persons in the town of Alindao in 2018.

“Under Darassa’s leadership, the UPC militia has committed brutal atrocities against civilians,” the director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Andrea M. Gacki, said.

U.S. Treasury sanctions generally freeze any assets the target holds in the United States and prohibit U.S. citizens from doing business with him.

“The United States will continue to target and expose human rights abusers, including those contributing to the humanitarian crisis in CAR,” Gacki added.

Darassa could not be immediately reached for comment.

Reuters