NAIROBI, Kenya (Kaab TV) – The Trial Chamber X of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as “Ali Kushayb,” for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between August 2003 and at least April 2004 during brutal attacks in Darfur, Sudan.
The ICC announced its verdict on Monday.
Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, a principal leader of the Janjaweed militia, was first tried at the ICC in April 2022.
He was found guilty on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between August 2003 and March 2004.
Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, welcomed the verdict, saying:
“This long-overdue verdict goes some way in providing justice for the victims of Ali Kushayb and should serve as a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for crimes committed in Darfur more than two decades ago. The conviction should serve as a warning to those committing abuses in the context of the ongoing Sudan conflict that they will one day be held individually accountable.
“To ensure that the ICC can pursue comprehensive justice for all victims, the United Nations Security Council should extend the Court’s mandate from Darfur to the entirety of Sudan.
“This verdict should spur ICC member states to urgently enforce all outstanding arrest warrants in the Darfur situation, including against former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and to enhance their political and financial support for the Court to enable the investigation of ongoing violations taking place in Darfur and across Sudan.”
In 2005, the UN Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC. In 2009 and 2010, the ICC issued arrest warrants for President al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The Court has also issued arrest warrants for three other government officials and three members of armed opposition groups.
Today’s verdict comes amid an ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced over 10 million people.