The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced Sudanese militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.

Kushayb, 76, was convicted in October 2025 of 27 counts, including murder, rape, torture, and attacks against civilians. The ruling is the ICC’s first conviction linked to the Darfur conflict.

During the sentencing hearing on 9 December 2025, presiding judge Joanna Korner highlighted Kushayb’s direct involvement in atrocities. She said he not only gave orders that led to killings and rapes but also personally carried out some of the crimes.

Victims’ testimonies described villages being burned, men and boys slaughtered, and women subjected to sexual slavery. Judge Korner said Kushayb’s actions represented a campaign of extermination, humiliation and displacement.

‘Today, 9 December 2025, the First Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court sentenced Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (“Ali Kushayb”) to 20 years in prison, following a trial judgment in which he was convicted of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, Sudan, between August 2003 and April 2004,” ICC said in a press release.

“The Chamber imposed this sentence after considering the gravity of the crimes, the personal circumstances of the convicted person, and other factors, including the degree of participation, the intent of the convicted person, and the harm caused to the victims. The Chamber also considered certain mitigating factors.”

” Under the Rome Statute, the maximum sentence that can be imposed is 30 years’ imprisonment, or life imprisonment if justified by the extreme gravity of the crimes or the individual circumstances of the convicted person. Time spent in custody since 9 June 2020 will be deducted from the total sentence imposed on Abd-Al-Rahman.”

Kushayb’s Darfur crimes

Kushayb had long denied being a senior Janjaweed commander. He fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 after Sudan’s new government announced cooperation with the ICC, and he later surrendered voluntarily. The court rejected his claims of mistaken identity.

Kushayb was a senior commander of the Janjaweed, a government-backed militia that terrorised Darfur during Sudan’s civil war. The Janjaweed targeted non-Arab populations accused of supporting rebel groups.

Attacks included mass killings, rape, torture, and forced displacement. Survivors described being tied, beaten, and forced to watch family members killed.

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when non-Arab ethnic groups rebelled against the Arab-dominated government. The government armed the Janjaweed to suppress the uprising. The United Nations estimates that up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced during the conflict.

During his trial, prosecutors urged the court to impose a life sentence, describing Kushayb as literally an axe murderer and highlighting the scale of the atrocities. The ICC emphasised that the sentence aims to deliver both retribution for victims and deterrence for current and future conflicts in Sudan.

The ruling also carries symbolic significance. ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said it sends a message that justice may be slow, but it will eventually catch up with perpetrators.

Although Kushayb’s conviction represents progress, Sudan continues to face violence. The ongoing civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has its origins in the Janjaweed, has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced since 2023.

Human rights organisations have accused the RSF of committing ethnic cleansing, claims the group denies. The ICC continues to pursue additional warrants against Sudanese officials, including former President Omar al-Bashir, who faces charges of genocide but denies all claims.