International Criminal Court Sentences Janjaweed Commander to 20 Years for Darfur Atrocities
THE HAGUE – In a landmark ruling, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced former Sudanese militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, to 20 years in prison for a litany of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Darfur conflict over two decades ago.
The 76-year-old, a senior leader of the notorious Janjaweed militia, was convicted on 27 separate charges for his central role in a brutal campaign of violence against non-Arab communities in the Wadi Salih area of Darfur between 2003 and 2004. The judges found that he both directed and actively participated in the atrocities.
Presiding Judge Tomoko Akane stated that Kushayb, as a de facto commander, ordered his fighters to “wipe out” entire villages. The prosecution detailed a systematic pattern of attacks where Janjaweed forces, armed and supported by the Sudanese government under then-President Omar al-Bashir, burned settlements to the ground, massacred civilian men and boys, and subjected women and girls to widespread rape and sexual enslavement. The campaign caused massive displacement, contributing to a humanitarian crisis that saw millions flee their homes.
“The crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population,” the court found, highlighting the ethnic targeting that characterized the conflict.
Survivor testimonies, which formed a crucial part of the evidence, painted a harrowing picture of the violence. They described villages being surrounded and destroyed, men summarily executed, and women abducted and held as slaves. The conviction marks a rare moment of accountability for the Darfur conflict, which the United Nations estimates left 300,000 people dead and millions displaced.
Kushayb, who surrendered to the court in 2020 after years at large, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. His defense argued he was a mere tribal leader without command authority, a claim the judges firmly rejected based on extensive witness and documentary evidence.
The sentence, which accounts for time already served, is a significant milestone for the ICC, which has long sought to bring key perpetrators of the Darfur atrocities to justice. While Omar al-Bashir himself remains at large in Sudan, Kushayb’s conviction stands as the first completed trial for crimes committed in Darfur at the Hague-based court.
International human rights groups have hailed the verdict as a long-overdue victory for survivors. “This sentencing sends a powerful message that even those who commit the most heinous crimes in positions of power can one day face justice,” said a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch. “However, many other suspects remain free, and the pursuit of accountability for all victims in Darfur must continue.”
The ruling arrives amid ongoing turmoil in Sudan, where a new civil war has erupted, raising fears of a return to large-scale ethnic violence. Advocates hope this verdict reinforces the immutable principle that impunity for mass atrocities cannot last forever.
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