THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday found Sudanese militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, better known as Ali Kushayb, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities committed during the Darfur conflict two decades ago.
Abd-Al-Rahman was convicted of multiple charges, including murder, rape, torture, and persecution for attacks carried out between August 2003 and April 2004 in western Sudan’s Darfur region.
“The chamber is convinced that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes with which he has been charged,” ICC presiding judge Joanna Korner said as she delivered the verdict. Sentencing will be announced at a later date.
The 76-year-old, dressed in a blue suit and red tie, remained composed throughout the proceedings, occasionally taking notes as Korner recounted graphic details of the atrocities.
According to the court, Abd-Al-Rahman directly oversaw assaults in which dozens of civilians were rounded up, beaten, and executed.
On one occasion, he reportedly ordered his men to shoot around 50 captives after forcing them to lie on the ground.
“The accused was not only giving orders but was personally involved in the beatings and later physically present and giving orders for the execution of those detained,” Judge Korner said.
‘Inflicted Pain and Suffering’
ICC prosecutors described Abd-Al-Rahman as a key commander in the Janjaweed militia—a government-backed force accused of widespread atrocities during the Darfur war.
“He inflicted severe pain and suffering on women, children, and men in the villages that he left in his wake,” said ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan during the trial.
The United Nations estimates that the Darfur conflict, which erupted when non-Arab groups rebelled against Khartoum’s Arab-led regime, left about 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million others.
Abd-Al-Rahman, born around 1949, denied the charges, insisting the court had mistaken him for another person.
“I am not Ali Kushayb. I do not know this person… I have nothing to do with the accusations against me,” he told the ICC in December 2024.
However, judges dismissed his defence, ruling that witness testimony and evidence conclusively identified him as the militia commander known as Kushayb.
He fled Sudan to the Central African Republic in 2020 after the transitional government in Khartoum signalled it would cooperate with ICC investigations.
Abd-Al-Rahman later surrendered to the court, saying he feared for his life.
Links to Bashir and New Sudan Crisis
Abd-Al-Rahman was long considered an ally of former Sudanese ruler Omar al-Bashir, who remains wanted by the ICC for genocide and war crimes in Darfur. Bashir was ousted in 2019 but has not been extradited to The Hague.
The ICC is also investigating fresh atrocities committed in Sudan’s ongoing war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which traces its roots to the Janjaweed militia.
Aid agencies warn that the conflict has already killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, leaving the country on the brink of famine.
