Designation: Founder and leader of the Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC)
Date of Birth: 22 September 1978
Place of Birth: Kabo, Ouham Prefecture, Central African Republic
Nationality: Central African Republic
National Identification No.: 10978000004482
Date of UN designation: 21 December 2021
Other information:
Ali Darassa founded and still leads the Central African Republic (CAR)-based militia group Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC), which has killed, tortured, raped, and displaced civilians, committed a large number of abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and engaged in arms trafficking, illegal taxation activities, and warfare against CAR defence and security forces, as well as other militias, since its creation in 2014. In December 2020, he played a leading role in the creation of the Coalition des patriotes pour le changement (CPC) that took up arms to oppose the elections and attempted to enter the capital Bangui, in violation of the commitments made by the UPC under the Accord politique pour la paix et la reconciliation (APPR) signed on 6 February 2019. INTERPOL-UN Security Council Special Notice web link: https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/View-UN-Notices-Individuals
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
Ali Darassa was listed on 21 December 2021 pursuant to paragraph 20 and paragraph 21 (b) of resolution 2399 (2018), extended by resolution 2588 (2021), for engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the Central African Republic, including acts that threaten or impede the stabilization and reconciliation process or that fuel violence; and for being involved in planning, directing, or committing acts in the Central African Republic that violate international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, including those involving targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on civilian objects, including administrative centres, courthouses, schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement.
Ali Darassa founded and still leads the Central African Republic (CAR)-based militia group Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC), which has killed, tortured, raped, and displaced civilians, committed a large number of abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and engaged in arms trafficking, illegal taxation activities, and warfare against CAR defense and security forces, as well as other militias, since its creation in 2014. In December 2020, he played a leading role in the creation of the Coalition des patriotes pour le changement (CPC) that took up arms to oppose the elections and attempted to enter the capital, in violation of the commitments made by the UPC under the Accord politique pour la paix et la reconciliation (APPR) signed on 6 February 2019.
Fighters under Ali Darassa’s command have committed acts that constitute serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. On 10 November 2014, UPC fighters attacked the villages of Bolo in Ouaka Prefecture and 10 civilians were killed including three elderly women who were burned alive in their homes. On 12 December 2017, UPC and FPRC elements opened fire on a hospital, killing 17 civilians, including 4 children. On 15 November 2018, UPC elements attacked an internally displaced persons camp in Alindao, killing between 70 to 100 civilians.
Under Darassa’s leadership, UPC continued to oppose the restoration of State authority. In 2016, UPC fighters posed a threat to the electoral process on several occasions. On 29 March 2016, UPC fighters fired bullets over an electoral post and wounded several internally displaced persons.
Since December 2020, as one of the leaders of the CPC, Ali Darassa has participated in violations of the APPR, attempts to prevent the legislative and presidential elections and, more broadly, to destabilize the Central African Republic. Due to threats made by UPC fighters under Ali Darassa’s command, voting operations could not take place on 27 December 2020 in areas under UPC’s control, for instance in several areas of the Ouaka and Haut-Mbomou Prefectures. In January 2021, UPC attempted to enter Bangui by force.