The International Criminal Court in The Hague has started a trial for serious crimes in the Sudanese crisis region of Darfur for the first time.
The alleged leader of the notorious Janjawid militias, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
"I am innocent of all charges," he said at the start of the trial.
The approximately 73-year-old man is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
According to the indictment, between 2003 and 2004, Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, commanded thousands of Janjaweed militants, a militia backed by the then Sudanese regime.
As a leader, he is said to be responsible for, among other things, murder, rape, torture, looting and attacks on the civilian population.
If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
A verdict is not expected for a few years.
Darfur in western Sudan has been shaken by power and distribution conflicts for around 20 years.
An estimated 300,000 people were killed in a genocide between 2003 and 2008.
The Criminal Court opened investigations in 2005 and issued arrest warrants for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against several men, including former President Omar al-Bashir.
Abd-Al-Rahman, who turned himself in to justice in 2020, is the first accused to be tried.