The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced former Sudanese militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, to 20 years in prison for his role in some of the worst atrocities committed during the Darfur conflict. The ruling marks a historic milestone the first successful ICC conviction of a senior Janjaweed leader for crimes carried out in Darfur more than two decades ago.
The 76-year-old stood motionless in the courtroom in The Hague as judges delivered the verdict, confirming his guilt on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, torture, rape, and the intentional targeting of civilians. The crimes occurred between 2003 and 2004 across multiple villages in West Darfur, where entire communities were wiped out during Sudan’s scorched-earth campaign.
According to the judges, Abd-Al-Rahman did not merely command the attacks he actively participated in them. Survivors recounted horrifying scenes: villages burned to the ground, mass executions, and women assaulted in systematic acts of brutality. Their testimonies, the judges said, formed the backbone of a case that revealed “exceptional cruelty carried out with total disregard for human life.”
The Court handed down a joint sentence of 20 years, taking into account his advanced age and the time he has spent in ICC custody since surrendering in 2020. While some human rights advocates had pushed for a longer punishment, the ruling still represents one of the most consequential judgments in the ICC’s history on Sudan.
For many Darfuris, the verdict is a long-awaited moment. The early 2000s conflict killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced millions, leaving deep psychological and social scars. Rights groups welcomed the decision as a step toward justice for survivors who have waited decades for accountability.
Yet the ruling comes at a turbulent time. Sudan remains engulfed in a renewed war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces a successor group to the Janjaweed raising fears that the cycle of atrocities continues despite international legal action. Observers warn that without broader prosecutions, justice for Darfur will remain incomplete.
Still, the ICC’s judgment sends a clear message: those who orchestrate or carry out mass atrocities in Sudan can no longer rely on impunity. For victims who lost everything in the ashes of Darfur’s burned villages, the sentence is not just a legal milestone it is a hard-won acknowledgment of their suffering and resilience.
