Hissène Abdoulaye

Abdoulaye Hissène (born 1 January 1967 in Akourousoulba) is a former Central African warlord, general in the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC), minister of youth, sanctioned by international institutions for committing multiple war crimes.

Life He was born on 1 January 1967 in Akourousoulba village near the border with Chad. He is a Muslim and belongs to the Runga ethnic group. His father was an environmental guard responsible for supervising protected areas in the region. When he was young, Hissène's father taught him and his siblings hunting and use of weapons. According to other sources, his father was Abba Adoum Kette, an influential diamond collector from Bria. Another son was reportedly the warlord Mahamet Saleh.

In September 2015 he ordered his fighters to kill a 17-year old Muslim boy in Bangui and spread rumors that anti-balaka did it to instigate violence in the capital. He ordered his fighters to shoot at people participating in referendum on 17 December 2015, killing at least five of them.

On 12 August 2016 he decided to escape PK5 district. Together with Haroun Gaye and Hamit Tidjani they painted seven vehicles white in order to resemble UN vehicles. 35 heavily armed ex-Seleka fighter left in total. While passing through the PK12 checkpoint a soldier fired at them killing one fighter. In Damara they again clashed with soldiers. One fighter who fell off vehicle was killed by Anti-balaka. They were stopped by MINUSCA in Sibut. They abandoned their vehicles. MINUSCA arrested 11 fighters, but Gaye and Hissène managed to escape on foot. In early September 2016 he arrived N'Délé together with Gaye. From there the group supposedly travelled to Sikikede in Vakaga prefecture where they met with Noureddine Adam, before going to Bria to attend ex-Séléka General Assembly. In November 2016 during clashes in Bria he ordered groups of militiamen to kill Fula civilians. He stoked ethnic tensions, encouraging Anti-balaka fighters to attack the UPC armed group.

In 2020 he refused to join the Coalition of Patriots for Change. In February 2021 he blocked a weapon shipment designated for CPC fighters. On 28 April 2023 he announced dissolution of his faction of the FPRC.

On 5 September 2023 he was arrested in Bangui. He was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was brought before the Special Criminal Court.