Khaberni - The International Criminal Court, on Monday, convicted the former commander of the Sudanese Janjaweed militia, Ali Muhammad Ali Abdel Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war in the Darfur region 20 years ago.
The president of the court, Judge Joanna Korner, stated that the court is "fully convinced that the defendant is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt of the crimes attributed to him."
Korner noted that the crimes include murder, rape, torture, and mass executions of civilians in 2003 and 2004.
She added that the final pleadings will be held from November 17 to 21, 2024, with a final judgment to be issued at a later time.
Korner recounted scenes she described as "horrific," including an incident where the defendant ordered his forces to transport about 50 civilians in trucks, then beat them with axes before forcing them to lie down and ordering his troops to shoot and kill them.
She affirmed that the defendant "not only issued orders, but also personally participated in the beatings and issued orders for the execution of detainees."
Denial of Charges
The defendant, born in 1949, denies committing the crimes he is accused of, stating that he is not the man being pursued.
He told the International Criminal Court during a hearing in December 2024, "I am not Ali Kushayb, I do not know this person, and I have nothing to do with the charges leveled against me."
However, Korner said that the court is "convinced that the defendant is the person known as Ali Kushayb," and did not accept the testimony of defense witnesses who denied this.
Abdel Rahman had fled to the Central African Republic in 2020 after the Sudanese transitional government announced its intention to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, before turning himself in voluntarily, stating that he was "desperate and feared that the Sudanese government would kill him," and added "Had I not said that, the court would not have accepted me and I would have been counted among the dead."
Kushayb is described as one of the senior leaders of the Janjaweed militia who supported the Sudanese government against rebel groups in the Darfur region during the rule of President Omar al-Bashir, and belongs to the Taisha tribe in the region.
He was a member of the Popular Defense Forces and a commander of the Janjaweed militia in Darfur from August 2003 until March 2004, and acted as a liaison between the government and the Janjaweed, simultaneously participating in attacks against targeted groups.
