Sudan: first appearance of war chief darfouri Ali Kushayb before the ICC

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Affected by an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court since 2007, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, whose real name is, is accused of 50 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murders, rapes, looting and torture. Crimes allegedly committed during the Darfur conflict in 2003 and 2004.

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It was a first hearing for Ali Kushayb, arrested just a week ago , Monday, June 8, in the Central African Republic, and immediately surrendered to the ICC and transferred to The Hague. A hearing which served to verify his identity and that of his defense, and to read the charges against him. Ali Kushayb is facing 50 counts, 22 for crimes against humanity and 28 for war crimes, for abuses committed at the very beginning of the Darfur War in 2003 and 2004.

Three interesting points emerged from the hearing on Monday morning. First, the accused indicated that he did not want to be called Ali Kushayb, but Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, his name. Ali Kushayb being a nom de guerre, in a way. Then, he indicated that he did not recognize himself in these accusations, that they were false. He asked that the charges not be read, which the judge refused. Finally, Ali Kushayb asked for a minute of silence for the victims of Darfur, which the judge also refused. Three requests that set the tone. Like most of the accused, he immediately denied what he was accused of.

First government-side trial

This first hearing ended at the end of the morning. The next will take place on December 7 with the confirmation of charges, before a trial which promises to be important. Indeed, if it is not the first suspect involved in the Darfur war to appear before the ICC - there were three others who were part of the armed groups in the region -  it is the first time that he there is one accused on the government side . Ali Kushayb was a Janjaweed leader, the militias that Khartoum used to fight against the Darfur rebels.

At the time, he was directing several thousand men near the town of Nyala. He is accused of personally carrying out systematic attacks against several villages in the region and of being responsible for atrocities against civilians.

Four other people are still wanted by the ICC for their responsibility in the crimes committed in Darfur, including Omar el-Béchir, the former Sudanese president, as well as two of his former ministers. All three are detained in Khartoum. The Sudanese authorities would prefer, moreover, that these figures of the old regime be tried in Sudan.

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• Sudan
• International justice
• Central africa
• Justice

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