Darfur Crisis : ICC Tries First Suspect

Twenty years after the end of the Darfur conflict, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday began prosecuting those suspected to have masterminded the war with Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb mounting the accused rostrum. The proceedings mark the first time the tribunal in The Hague is prosecuting an individual over the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region. Kushayb who was one of the “janjaweed” leaders is charged with 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity after heading one of the most feared militia groups in the area during the early 2000s. Though during previous court appearances he told the ICC that he was not guilty of any war crimes and was a victim of mistaken identity, the court believes that there is enough evidence to justify his arrest.
Kushayb who surrendered to the ICC in 2020 after 13 years on the run, is accused of murder, torture, rape, persecution and attacking civilians when he was a janjaweed leader between August 2003 and April 2004. The trial is a long-awaited chance for victims and communities terrorized by the notorious janjaweed militia in Darfur to see those involved in the war held to account. The trial comes amid an increase in violence in Darfur since a joint United Nations and African Union peace force ended its operations in the region more than a year ago. Reuters reports that there have ...