Sudanese Militia Leader Ali Kushayb Found Guilty of War Crimes in Landmark ICC Darfur Conviction

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, alias Ali Kushayb, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in the war in Darfur. The verdict is a milestone in global justice because it brings to account a senior official for atrocities in Sudan's bloody civil war in the early 2000s.

Kushayb, a former commander of the Janjaweed militia, was found guilty on 22 counts of war crimes and 18 counts of crimes against humanity. These comprise murder, rape, persecution, and assaults on civilian populations. The ICC determined that Kushayb played a central part in devising and implementing campaigns of violence against Darfur's ethnic groups, the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa people.

The trial, which started in 2022, listened to testimonies of dozens of survivors and witnesses, painting a grisly picture of systematic violence. Kushayb was arrested in 2020 after surrendering himself in the Central African Republic, marking the end of years of fugitivity since his indictment in 2007.

This ruling is seen as a big step towards justice for the victims of the Darfur genocide that claimed over 300,000 lives and displaced millions of individuals. Human rights activists have hailed the ruling as a message that there would be no impunity for crimes of mass atrocities.

The ICC is expected to announce details of sentencing in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, survivors and international observers continue to call for accountability for others responsible for the conflict in Darfur.