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The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has secured its first conviction related to the Darfur genocide, finding Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, a prominent leader of Sudan’s notorious Janjaweed militia, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This landmark verdict addresses atrocities committed more than two decades ago in the western Sudanese region, where similar violence has resurfaced amidst the nation’s ongoing civil war.
Judges determined that Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, played a central role in a systematic campaign of mass killings and sexual violence between August 2003 and April 2004. The court found this campaign to be part of a broader plan, backed by Sudan’s former government, to suppress a rebellion by African ethnic groups. Presiding judge Joanna Korner underscored Abd-Al-Rahman’s direct involvement, stating, “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.”
Convicted on 27 counts, Abd-Al-Rahman, born in 1949, remained silent as the verdict was read. He had previously asserted he was wrongly identified. He now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with his sentencing scheduled for a later date.
The conflict in Darfur, which spanned from 2003 to 2020, is widely regarded as the 21st century’s first genocide. United Nations estimates indicate that the violence claimed approximately 300,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million people from their homes.
Abd-Al-Rahman had fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 after Sudan’s new government signaled its cooperation with the ICC investigation. He later surrendered, citing fears for his safety.
During the trial, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan described how Abd-Al-Rahman and the Janjaweed militia “rampaged” through Darfur, inflicting “severe pain and suffering on women, children and men in villages that he left in his wake.” While this conviction marks a significant step, several other arrest warrants remain outstanding for Sudanese officials, including one for former President Omar al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide and reportedly remains in military custody in northern Sudan.
The legacy of the Janjaweed continues to cast a long shadow over Sudan. The militia later evolved into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been engaged in a civil war against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since 2023. The RSF itself faces accusations from the United States, the United Nations, and others of committing a new genocide in Darfur, leading to thousands more displaced persons, triggering famine, and pushing the region toward a new humanitarian catastrophe.