ICC Convicts Sudan Janjaweed Leader Ali Kushayb for 27 War Crimes in Darfur

The International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, a former Sudanese militia leader, of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004. These crimes include murder, rape, torture, and forcible displacement, with evidence showing that Kushayb personally participated in some atrocities. The court found that these acts were part of a coordinated campaign by the government-backed Janjaweed militia to eliminate non-Arab tribes, resulting in approximately 300,000 deaths. This conviction marks the ICC's first ruling related to the Darfur conflict, which was referred to the court by the UN Security Council in 2005. Abd-Al-Rahman's sentencing will take place later, with a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Despite efforts to prosecute other Sudanese leaders like former president Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's military has refused to surrender them, while the country continues to face severe conflict and humanitarian crises.