ICC Convicts Janjaweed Leader Ali Kushayb for Darfur Crimes

The International Criminal Court on 6 October 2025 convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in coordinated attacks on civilian populations in West Darfur between 2003 and 2004. The judgment marks the ICC’s first-ever conviction of a former Janjaweed commander for atrocities in Darfur, a verdict described by rights groups as a “long-awaited measure of justice” for survivors.

The Court’s Findings

Judges ruled that Kushayb was directly responsible for murder, rape, persecution, forcible transfer, pillage, and intentionally directing attacks against civilians in Kodoom, Bindisi, Mukjar, and Deleig. Sentencing will follow at a later date. The crimes were committed during a campaign of violence by Sudanese government-backed Janjaweed forces targeting non-Arab communities.

Global Reactions And Calls For Justice

“This long-awaited conviction provides the first real opportunity for victims to see justice for the horrors committed in Darfur,” said Liz Evenson, Human Rights Watch’s international justice director, urging governments to “advance justice by all possible means.” Amnesty International called the verdict a “significant milestone,” adding that it “should serve as a warning to those committing abuses in Sudan today.”

Push For Wider Accountability

Rights organisations urged the ICC and UN Security Council to pursue fugitives still at large, including Omar al-Bashir and senior ex-officials, and to extend the Court’s jurisdiction beyond Darfur to cover war crimes committed since April 2023. They also pressed member states to provide political and financial support to sustain the ICC’s investigations.

Darfur Legacy And Ongoing Conflict

The conviction comes amid renewed atrocities in Sudan, where fighting between the SAF and RSF has displaced millions. The RSF—an offshoot of the Janjaweed—stands accused of ethnic cleansing in West Darfur and systematic sexual violence. Human Rights Watch warned that justice must not take “another 20 years,” calling for international mechanisms and universal jurisdiction to address present-day crimes.