BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted on Monday a Sudanese militia leader of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, marking the court's first ruling related to the atrocities committed in Sudan's western Darfur region.
During its session, the court stated that Ali Muhammad Ali Abd Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, was found guilty of several crimes, including "rape, murder, and torture," committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner said while reading the verdict that "the chamber is convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the crimes charged against him," noting that the ruling was unanimous among the three judges. She added that "the accused encouraged and gave orders that led to killings, rapes, and destruction carried out by the Janjaweed militia." Judge Korner stated further that "the accused did not merely give orders but personally participated in the abuses and was physically present during the executions," explaining that the court heard testimonies describing "mass rapes, abuses, and massacres committed against civilians." The court affirmed that the crimes were "part of a government plan to violently suppress the armed rebellion in the Darfur region," noting that Abd-Al-Rahman "led the Janjaweed militia, which carried out a campaign of killing and destruction between 2003 and 2004." Judge Korner announced that sentencing would be issued at a later date, indicating that Abd-Al-Rahman faces "a maximum sentence of life imprisonment." Hearings on sentencing are scheduled to take place between 17 and 21 November, followed by a final decision "in due course." The ICC prosecution said that "the victims in this case were not rebels but civilians who were deliberately targeted, suffered greatly, lost their lives, and were left with lasting physical and psychological scars." The defendant, however, denied all charges, saying, "I am not Ali Kushayb. I do not know this person," insisting that the accusations "have nothing to do with me." He told the court that he surrendered voluntarily in 2020 only because he was "desperate" and feared arrest by the Sudanese authorities at the time.
He added, "I had been in hiding for two months and feared being arrested by the Sudanese government. If I hadn't said I was Ali Kushayb, the court wouldn't have accepted me, and I would have died." The Darfur conflict dates back to 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government of former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, accusing it of ethnic discrimination. The government responded by deploying the Janjaweed militia, composed largely of Arab nomadic fighters.
According to the United Nations, the conflict resulted in the deaths of about 300,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million others before officially ending in 2020.
The verdict comes as Sudan continues to witness widespread atrocities and famine amid an ongoing war since April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that emerged from the former Janjaweed militia.
According to the World Health Organization, the fighting has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced about 12 million others, while more than 24 million Sudanese are facing severe food insecurity, according to the World Food Program (WFP). (end) arn.sas