ICC convicts Sudanese militia leader Ali Kushayb of war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday convicted a notorious Sudanese militia leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in violent attacks in Darfur.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known by his alias Ali Kushayb, was found guilty of multiple offenses — including rape, murder, and torture — committed between August 2003 and at least April 2004.

“The chamber is convinced that the accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crimes with which he has been charged,” AFP quoted ICC president judge Joanna Korner as saying.

The sentence will be pronounced at a later date, she said.

The bespectacled Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, dressed in a blue suit and waistcoat with a scarlet tie, sat impassively through Monday’s proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC), occasionally taking notes as the judges delivered their verdict.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner outlined chilling details of the atrocities committed by Abd-Al-Rahman during the Darfur conflict, including mass killings, gang rapes, and torture.

She described one incident in which Abd-Al-Rahman allegedly oversaw the loading of about 50 civilians onto trucks, beating some with axes before ordering his troops to execute them.

“The accused was not only giving orders… but was personally involved in the beatings and later was physically present and giving orders for the execution of those detained,” said Korner.

Prosecutors had identified Abd-Al-Rahman as a senior commander in Sudan’s feared Janjaweed militia, which played a central role in the government’s brutal crackdown on non-Arab communities in Darfur. They said he participated “enthusiastically” in numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity between August 2003 and at least April 2004.

‘Inflicted pain and suffering’

During the trial, the ICC chief prosecutor said Abd-Al-Rahman and his forces “rampaged across different parts of Darfur”.

He “inflicted severe pain and suffering on women, children and men in the villages that he left in his wake”, said Karim Khan, who has since stepped down as he faces allegations of sexual misconduct.

Abd-Al-Rahman is also thought to be an ally of deposed Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC on genocide charges.

Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron fist for nearly three decades, was ousted and detained in April 2019 following months of protests in Sudan.

He has not, however, been handed over to the ICC, based in The Hague, where he also faces multiple charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICC prosecutors are hoping to issue fresh arrest warrants related to the current crisis in Sudan.

Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in a war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which grew out of the Janjaweed militia.

The conflict, marked by claims of atrocities on all sides, has left the northeast African country on the brink of famine, according to aid agencies.