(MENAFN) A Sudanese militia commander has been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities committed in Darfur more than two decades ago.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, was a senior leader of the Janjaweed, a government-backed militia accused of terrorizing Darfur’s non-Arab communities during the brutal conflict that began in 2003.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) found Kushayb guilty on 27 counts, including murder, rape, persecution, and the destruction of villages. He is the first individual to face trial at the ICC for the Darfur atrocities, which left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced.

Throughout the proceedings, Kushayb denied the charges, claiming he had been mistaken for someone else.

Judge Joanna Korner, delivering the verdict, said Kushayb had “encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed.”

She further noted that he ordered his men to “wipe out and sweep away” non-Arab tribes, instructing them to “bring no one alive.”

The court’s findings focused on attacks carried out between 2003 and 2004, when Kushayb allegedly led operations that razed villages, executed men and boys, and enslaved women.

Survivors recounted harrowing experiences of burned homes, mass killings, and systematic sexual violence.

Outside the ICC in The Hague, Darfuri survivors gathered to witness the historic moment. One man, who had lost his family during the conflict, said: “He was the one who gave the orders. He was the one who got the weapons. So if you ask me if he was important in Darfur, I will tell you he was one of the most important ones.”

The Darfur conflict, which raged from 2003 to 2020, began when the Arab-led Sudanese government armed militias to crush uprisings by non-Arab rebel groups demanding an end to political and economic marginalization. The campaign of violence soon escalated into what international observers described as ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Ironically, the legacy of that war continues to haunt Sudan today. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a powerful paramilitary group now fighting Sudan’s national army in the ongoing civil war—originated from the Janjaweed militias once led by figures like Kushayb.

The verdict marks a landmark moment in international justice, offering long-awaited recognition for the victims of Darfur’s darkest chapter, even as the region remains mired in violence and instability.

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