The International Criminal Court on Monday found former Janjaweed militia leader guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities committed during Sudan’s Darfur conflict more than 20 years ago, marking the tribunal’s first conviction linked to the Darfur crisis.
Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was convicted in The Hague of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.
Presiding judge Joanna Korner said there was "no doubt" about the defendant's guilt. Sentencing will take place at a later date.
According to the court, Abd-Al-Rahman was one of the most senior leaders of the Janjaweed militia, which was backed by the Sudanese government and held responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 people in Darfur between 2003 and 2006.
Prosecutors described him as a "ruthless" commander.
