The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday sentenced Sudanese militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the brutal conflict in Darfur more than two decades ago.
The 76-year-old former commander of the feared Janjaweed militia was convicted in October on 27 counts, including murder, torture, rape, persecution, and forcible transfer of populations, specifically targeting the Fur and other non-Arab communities in West Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner announced the joint 20-year sentence, emphasizing the gravity of Abd-Al-Rahman’s crimes.
The court found that he not only commanded the atrocities but also personally perpetrated them, including bludgeoning prisoners to death with an axe and walking on the heads of injured victims.
“Deterrence is particularly apposite in this case given the current state of affairs in Sudan,” Judge Korner stated, acknowledging the renewed violence currently plaguing the Darfur region.
Abd-Al-Rahman’s conviction and sentencing mark the first full trial completion by the ICC concerning the Darfur conflict, which the UN Security Council referred to the court in 2005.Â
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, citing the extreme cruelty and high number of victims, but the judges imposed the 20-year term, noting mitigating factors like his age and voluntary surrender to the court in 2020.
By Michelle Ndaga
