Anti-balaka militia originally sprang up to protect the Christian population of the Central African Republic, but now stand accused of human rights abuses themselves. Last month, the African Union branded militia targeting Muslims in Central African Republic as “terrorists” and said they would be treated as enemy combatants, a day after killing a Congolese peacekeeper and amid deepening international frustration at continuing violence in the impoverished and landlocked country. Photo: A female member of the anti-balaka, a Christian militia, patrols with other militiamen outside village of Zawa April 8, 2014. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Retired builder Vasili Sidamonidze, 70, poses for a portrait at his home in Gori, Georgia, December 6, 2016. “Unfortunately, Stalin is not popular nowadays. Our people don't respect him. Only we, members of the (Communist) Party, respect him”, Sidamonidze said. “I always try to attend Stalin's birthday anniversaries in Gori. Unfortunately many people don't want to join us even if they live nearby. They look at us from their windows”. (Photo by David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters)

Mickey McCooper, born 1972 as Michel Valentino in Stuttgart-Germany, is a photo-artist, filmmaker, painter, and media-entrepreneur. He is well known for the broad range of subject matter he is able to interpret, he is widely recognized for his unusual people portraiture, his editorial photography, his photo illustrations, photographic design and his extraordinary repertoire of art photography, painings and drawings.

Photo: Space Invaders, 2011. (Photo by Mickey McCooper)

Glasgow based artist dressed Frank To dressed in a medieval Plague Doctor costume sits beside 72-year-old Willie Kennedy from Glasgow on March 31, 2011 in Glasgow, Scotland. The artist is promoting his first major exhibition in two years, “The Human Condition”, which opens tomorrow at the Leith Gallery in Edinburgh. The artist is showing a series of pictures which depict Mediaeval Plague Doctors, which have fascinated the artist for the last three years. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A poster depicts a disinfection worker in North Korea on May 23, 2022. The COVID outbreak in the isolated country, confirmed about two weeks ago, has stoked concerns about a lack of vaccines and medical supplies, while experts said a nationwide lockdown could deepen a food crisis in the country of 25 million. (Photo by KCNA via Reuters)

Race-goers enjoy a drink during the “Ladies Day” at the Epsom Derby in Epsom Downs, Britain, 02 June 2023. The Epsom Derby Festival of horse racing takes place on 02 and 03 June 2023. (Photo by Neil Hall/EPA)

Tatiana Osorio, of Orlando, cries while giving blood at the OneBlood blood center near the mass shooting at a nightclub, June 13, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. Osorio lost three friends in the shooting. (Photo by David Goldman/AP Photo)

Masked youths face off with French police and gendarmes during a demonstration in Paris as part of nationwide protests against plans to reform French labour laws, France, June 14, 2016. (Photo by Willi Effenberger/Pacific Press/SIPA Press)