Amsterdam, Dec 9, (dpa/GNA) – The International Criminal Court in The Hague has sentenced a former militia leader to 20 years in prison, for his part in the massacres carried out in the Sudanese province of Darfur two decades ago.
Passing sentence on Tuesday, Presiding Judge Joanna Korner said Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, was responsible for crimes of “unimaginable cruelty.”
The judges ruled in October that he was guilty of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. The offences included murder, rape and torture. It was the International Criminal Court’s first verdict on the crimes in Darfur.
The court found that the defendant, also known as Ali Kushayb, was one of the most important leaders of the government-backed Janjaweed militia, which is held responsible for the murder of around 300,000 people in the Darfur region between 2003 and 2006.
The sentence was shorter than it might have otherwise been because Abd-Al-Rahman, had voluntarily surrendered in 2020, and because of his advanced age of 76.
The time he has spent in custody will be counted towards his sentence. It is not yet known in which country he will serve his jail term.
Abd-Al-Rahman denied all charges.
Numerous witnesses had identified him and described in detail the mass murders, torture, rapes and looting during the trial.
Civil war broke out in southern Sudan some 20 years ago. The UN Security Council had tasked the International Criminal Court with prosecuting the massacres in Darfur. So far, this has been the only trial.
GNA