The International Criminal Court convicts Janjaweed leader of crimes against humanity and war crimes war crimes in Darfur
On October 6, 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered its first conviction linked to the Darfur conflict, finding Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman “Ali Kushayb”, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture and attacks on civilians.
The Janjaweed – Arab militias armed and supported by Sudan’s security forces – were part of Khartoum’s campaign to crush a rebellion by non-Arab groups in 2003. Villages were razed, men summarily executed, and women raped in what the UN later described as one of the gravest humanitarian crises of the early 21st century.
Mr Abd-Al-Rahman was accused of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, Sudan. He surrendered to the ICC in 2020 shortly after the fall of Sudan’s long-time leader, Omar al-Bashir, after evading authorities for over 12 years. This landmark judgment found him guilty on 27 counts for his role in attacks against the Fur, Masalit, and other non-Arab communities between August 2003 and March 2004 in West Darfur.
The conviction marks several milestones for international justice: it is the first ICC verdict in the Darfur situation, the first case referred by the UN Security Council in resolution 1593 (2005) to result in a conviction, and the first ever ICC conviction for gender-based persecution. Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan declared that the verdict is “a crucial step toward closing the impunity gap in Darfur,” that “sends a resounding message to perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan, both past and present, that justice will prevail.”
The conviction comes as Darfur finds itself amid another war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.