Controversial militia leader elected to Africa's top football body

A man accused by rights groups of atrocities in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been voted onto African football's governing body.

Patrice Edouard Ngaissona was elected to be the central zone's representative on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football on Friday.

However, just four years ago he was the self-declared political coordinator of the mainly Christian Anti-Balaka militias in CAR.

The groups have been blamed for wide-scale massacres against the minority Muslim population.

All the candidates in Friday's elections were passed as eligible to stand by CAF, and Mr Ngaissona was defensive when questioned over his past.

"If the allegations were true, I wouldn't be here today," he told the news agency AFP on Friday, saying he didn't want "to mix politics and sport."

"Everything I've done has been for the good of my country," he added.

Before he joined the Anti-Balaka, Mr Ngaissona had served as the CAR sports minister under former president Francois Bozize.

He is also one of those who called for the Anti-Balaka to lay down their weapons..

Source: BBCNewsHighlights