The International Criminal Court (ICC) has found Ali Kushayb, former commander of the Janjaweed militia, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
The verdict marks a historic milestone more than two decades after the atrocities that left nearly 300,000 people dead and displaced millions, even as Sudan faces renewed conflict.
Kushayb, whose full name is Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, has yet to receive his sentence, which could carry life imprisonment.
Over a three-and-a-half-year trial, he was convicted of ordering murders, rapes, and beatings, while personally participating in killings armed with an axe and a Kalashnikov.
He was also found guilty of supplying and distributing weapons to militia forces under his command.
Throughout the proceedings, Kushayb denied the charges, claiming he had introduced himself under a different name to save his life.
Yet records presented in court showed his close alignment with former President Omar al-Bashir, attending government meetings and commanding respect among his militia.
The trial stems from the Darfur conflict that erupted in 2003, when rebels rose against the Arab-dominated government, denouncing systematic ethnic discrimination.
In response, the regime deployed the Janjaweed militia, whose brutal campaign left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. Although the conflict officially ended in 2020, the region’s scars remain.
Former President Omar al-Bashir, ousted in April 2019, remains wanted by the ICC for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Sudan has once again been embroiled in armed conflict since April 2023, pitting the army against the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that emerged from the Janjaweed, raising fears of renewed atrocities.
The conviction has been welcomed by human rights groups.
Salih Mahmoud Osman, president of the Darfur Lawyers Association, said it sends a “message to all those who have not yet been prosecuted: not to feel too safe.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk echoed this sentiment, stressing that “there can be no impunity for large-scale crimes against civilians.”
The ruling against Kushayb represents a significant step toward accountability for the Darfur atrocities and underscores the ICC’s ongoing commitment to pursuing justice in Sudan.
About The Author
