The International Criminal Court on Monday found former Janjaweed militia leader guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities committed during Sudan’s Darfur conflict more than 20 years ago, marking the tribunal’s first conviction linked to the Darfur crisis.
Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was convicted in The Hague of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.
Presiding judge Joanna Korner said there was "no doubt" about the defendant's guilt. Sentencing will take place at a later date.
According to the court, Abd-Al-Rahman was one of the most senior leaders of the Janjaweed militia, which was backed by the Sudanese government and held responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 people in Darfur between 2003 and 2006.
Prosecutors described him as a "ruthless" commander.
The ruling marks the ICC's first verdict on crimes committed in Darfur. Abd-Al-Rahman, now in his mid-70s, denied the allegations and claimed mistaken identity.
But judges said witness testimony clearly established his role, with survivors describing mass killings, torture, rape and looting. He surrendered to the court in 2020.
More than 20 years ago, conflict erupted in Sudan's Darfur region, where massacres sparked international outrage.
In 2005, the U.N. Security Council referred the situation to the International Criminal Court, but until now only this single trial has gone forward.
Prosecutors also seek to put former president Omar al-Bashir on trial for genocide, yet Sudan's military rulers have so far refused to hand him over.
Fighting flared again in Sudan in 2023, with the U.N. calling the crisis the world's worst humanitarian emergency. More than 12 million people have been displaced, according to U.N. figures.
