Darfur Crisis: ICC Sentences 76-Year-Old Abd-Al-Rahman To 20-Year Jail Over K!llings In Sudan

Darfur Crisis: ICC Sentences 76-Year-Old Abd-Al-Rahman To 20-Year Jail Over Killings In Sudan

The chamber emphasised that Abd‑Al‑Rahman not only gave orders that led directly to the crimes but also participated personally, sometimes wielding an axe in the killings.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber I on Tuesday sentenced Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, to 20 years imprisonment for his role in brutal crimes committed during the Darfur conflict.

The ruling, announced on Tuesday, follows a sweeping verdict in which the chamber found him guilty on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture, persecution and attacks on civilians between 2003 and 2004.

The chamber emphasised that Abd‑Al‑Rahman not only gave orders that led directly to the crimes but also participated personally, sometimes wielding an axe in the killings.

The judges noted the profound suffering of survivors and the broader impact on Darfur’s communities, underscoring that the sentence aims for both retribution and deterrence.
At 76, the consolidated 20‑year term effectively means he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Time already spent in detention since his surrender in 2020 will be deducted.

The Darfur crisis erupted in the early 2000s when non‑Arab groups took up arms against the Sudanese government, accusing it of marginalisation.

The government responded by mobilising the Janjaweed militia, leading to a campaign of mass killings, forced displacement and sexual violence that the United Nations estimates killed up to 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million.