Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman
Source: Africa Publicity
An ex-Sudanese militia leader, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, has been convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Ali Kushayb is said to have committed the atrocities about 20 years ago.
On Monday, October 6, 2025, the Hague-based court found him guilty of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The crimes include murder, rape, torture and persecution.
Ali Kushayb’s sentence is expected to be determined after a new round of hearings.
The United Nations Security Council referred his case to the ICC in 2005.
He denied all 31 charges when his trial started in April 2022.
He was accused of leading Janjaweed militia forces who were responsible for some of the worst atrocities in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
Prosecutors described Ali Kushayb’s actions as “beastly violence”.
According to prosecutors, he led coordinated attacks on villages, carrying out mass killings and using rape as a weapon of war.
During his trial, at least 56 witnesses testified, recounting their nightmares.
In one account before the court, the ex-militia leader allegedly ordered fighters to attack again, saying “repeat, repeat for these people. Maybe there are some that you have missed.”
The Darfur war began in 2003 after rebels from non-Arab communities started their armed rebellion against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, accusing the government of then President Omar al-Bashir of marginalization. Mr. al-Bashir responded with a counter-insurgency campaign led by the Janjaweed militias. The conflict reportedly led to the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people.
