The International Criminal Court handed down a guilty verdict on Monday to a leader of the notorious Janjaweed militia for his significant involvement in orchestrating brutal atrocities during the Darfur conflict over two decades ago in Sudan. This marks the first conviction by the court related to crimes committed in Darfur. The tribunal, composed of three judges, concluded that the heinous acts, which included mass killings and sexual assaults, were part of a government strategy to crush a rebellion in the Darfur region violently.
Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, remained impassive as Judge Joanna Korner pronounced 27 guilty verdicts against him while wearing formal attire and using a headset. Sentencing for Abd-Al-Rahman will take place at a later date, with the possibility of a life sentence looming over him. The charges against him are linked to his leadership role in directing Janjaweed militia forces during a deadly campaign in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
Judge Korner emphasized that Abd-Al-Rahman not only endorsed but also provided directives that led to the brutal killings, rapes, and destruction carried out by the Janjaweed. The court’s decision was unanimous in holding him accountable for the crimes. Abd-Al-Rahman had pleaded not guilty to all 31 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the beginning of his trial in April 2022, asserting that he was not the individual known as Ali Kushayb. However, the judges dismissed this defense and opted not to issue separate verdicts for four charges since they overlapped with the offenses for which he was found guilty.
During the trial, defense attorneys presented 17 witnesses who argued that Abd-Al-Rahman was insignificant and devoid of any involvement in the Darfur conflict. Nevertheless, the judges determined that he held a senior position within the Janjaweed militias during the violent upheaval triggered by a rebellion by ethnic groups in Darfur against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in 2003.
Testimonies from 56 witnesses in court depicted the extreme violence and systematic use of rape as a weapon to instill fear and degrade women during the conflict. One witness recounted how Abd-Al-Rahman allegedly instructed fighters during a massacre to ensure no one was left alive. The Darfur conflict also witnessed a brutal response from then-president Omar al-Bashir’s regime, involving aerial bombings and Janjaweed raids that resulted in widespread killings, rapes, torture, and forced displacement of approximately 2.7 million people and the death of up to 300,000 individuals in Darfur.
While al-Bashir faces ICC charges, including genocide, he remains at large and has not been extradited to The Hague for trial. The verdict against Abd-Al-Rahman comes as reports of atrocities and famine persist in Sudan amid clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military. The conflict, which began in 2023, has claimed the lives of at least 40,000 people and displaced millions, exacerbating food insecurity affecting over 24 million individuals in Sudan.
The Rapid Support Forces, an offshoot of the Janjaweed militias, continue to operate in Sudan, further complicating the humanitarian situation. The landmark conviction by the ICC in the Darfur case offers a glimpse of justice for victims of the Janjaweed’s terror, prompting calls for governments to intensify efforts to pursue justice for all affected parties in Sudan’s ongoing conflicts.
