Ali Kushayb, a former Janjaweed militia leader, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's Darfur region. AP image
(The Post News)- The International Criminal Court has sentenced a former Janjaweed militia leader to two decades of incarceration for perpetrating heinous atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, marking a landmark conviction for the ICC.
Conviction Counts
The 76-year-old Kushayb was convicted on 31 counts, including attacks against civilians, murder, torture, rape, pillaging, destruction of property, persecution, and forcible transfer of population between 2003 and 2004. Judge Joanna Korner, who passed the sentence, stated that Kushayb had “personally perpetrated” beatings, including with an axe, and given orders for murders.
War Crimes
The court had unanimously found Kushayb guilty of these crimes, which were part of a campaign of extermination, humiliation, and displacement against mainly Black African tribes in Darfur. Kushayb had consistently denied being a high-ranking official in the Janjaweed militia, claiming the court had mistaken him for someone else.
Credit Image: The Gurdian
Prosecutors had demanded a life sentence, highlighting Kushayb’s brutal crimes, including the axe murder of two individuals. Defence lawyers, however, had requested a seven-year jail term, citing mitigating circumstances.
The ICC noted that Kushayb’s time in detention, from June 9, 2020, would be deducted from his sentence. The conviction is a significant milestone for the ICC, as it is the first time a suspect has been held accountable for crimes committed in Darfur.
The Darfur conflict, which began in the 2000s, resulted in the deaths of 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million. The Janjaweed militia, now known as the Popular Defence Forces, was unleashed by the Sudanese government to quell the rebellion.
Kushayb’s surrender in February 2020 was prompted by a new Sudanese government’s announcement to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation. He claimed he had handed himself in due to desperation and fear of being killed.
The Darfur region has suffered further since a civil war erupted in April 2023, with millions displaced and at risk of famine. Both sides, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are accused of committing atrocities.
The RSF, which originated from the Janjaweed militia, has taken control of Darfur and is now pushing eastwards into central Sudan. The humanitarian crisis in the region is dire, with millions in need of urgent assistance.
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