ICC Convicts Former Janjaweed Leader Ali Kushayb of Darfur War Crimes

6 October 2025

Ali Kushayb, ICC photo

October 6, 2025 (THE HAGUE) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday convicted former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Mohamed Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.

The verdict is the court’s first for the long-running conflict in Darfur. The ICC is still seeking the surrender of former Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and two senior aides, Abdel Raheem Mohamed Hussein and Ahmed Haroun, on similar charges. Also wanted is Abdallah Banda, a rebel commander accused of a deadly 2007 attack on peacekeepers.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner, reading the ruling, said Kushayb was guilty of crimes committed in the West Darfur localities of Kutum, Bindisi, Mukjar, and Deleij between August 2003 and April 2004.

The charges he was convicted of include murder, torture, rape, persecution, and ordering attacks on civilians. The court found Kushayb, a key commander of the government-backed Janjaweed, personally participated in some attacks and acted as an intermediary with the Sudanese government, which provided weapons, funding, and training.

The judges did not convict Kushayb on four related charges, ruling that the criminal conduct was already covered by the other counts.

A separate hearing will be held to determine Kushayb’s sentence, which could include life imprisonment, fines, and the forfeiture of assets. The judges also granted the 1,591 victims participating in the trial the right to seek reparations, a process that will be handled at a later stage.

Kushayb, 76, had been wanted by the ICC since 2007. He surrendered himself in the Central African Republic in June 2020 and was transferred to the court’s custody in The Hague.

Born in South Darfur, Kushayb served as a medical assistant in the Sudanese army before becoming a prominent Janjaweed leader when the conflict erupted in 2003.