The International Criminal Court on Monday convicted former militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd_Al-Rahman for war crimes carried out during the conflict in more than two decades ago.
Abd_Al-Rahman, a senior commander in the Janjaweed militias at the time, was found guilty on 27 counts, including rape, murder and persecution.
Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes in Darfur after an insurgency by the territory’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community in 2003 drew a drastic reprisal from then-President Omar al-Bashir’s government.
The Janjaweed militias, loyal to al-Bashir, played a major role in atrocities committed during what became a scorched-earth campaign by the government.
What was the court’s verdict?
Abd_Al-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb, is to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“He encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed,” presiding Judge Joanna Korner said, adding that the verdict by the three-judge panel were unanimous.
The accused had lodged a plea of innocence to all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity when his trial opened in April 2022.
Fifty-six witnesses testified against him during the trial, describing scenes of violence and rape that he had presided over.
Abd_Al-Rahman’s defense lawyers called 17 witnesses and argued that he had played no role in the Darfur conflict.
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