ICC Convicts Janjaweed Commander for Darfur Atrocities

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has delivered its first conviction related to Sudan’s Darfur conflict, finding Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, guilty of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kushayb, a former Janjaweed commander, was convicted for his role in a brutal campaign of killings, rapes, and village burnings in Darfur between 2003 and 2004—atrocities carried out as part of a government-backed effort to suppress a local rebellion.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner said the court was convinced of Kushayb’s guilt “beyond reasonable doubt,” adding that sentencing will be announced later.

Kushayb, who fled to the Central African Republic in 2020 before surrendering to the ICC, denied the charges. Prosecutors presented extensive witness testimony detailing mass violence against civilians.

The verdict marks a historic milestone for the ICC’s long-running Darfur investigations. However, renewed fighting in Darfur—amid the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—continues to raise fresh concerns about war crimes in the region.