A Sudanese militia leader, Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison after being found culpable of indulging in war related crimes.
Abd-Al-Rahman was held for trial at the The International Criminal Court, ICC, where he was also found guilty of crimes against humanity he was said to have perpetuated during the civil war in Sudan two decades ago.
During the proceeding, the Presiding Judge, Joana Korner, said that the Septuagenarian convict, also known as Ali Kushayb, has been convicted of 27 counts of crimes including rape, murder, and torture, in the western Darfur region between 2003 and 2004.
The 76-year-old, standing impassively wearing blue suit and tie at the court on Tuesday, was said to have been a leading member of Sudan’s infamous Janjaweed militia known for it’s activeness in multiple crimes, the lawbreaker, personally perpetrating beatings, including with an axe, and gave orders for executions.
Korner disclosed the that victims of the inhumane acts put up by Abd-Al-Rahman had carried out a campaign of extermination, humiliation and displacement, noting their testimonies they endured under the Janjaweed group.
“Days of torture began at sunrise, blood ran freely in the streets; There was no medical help, no treatment, no mercy,” said Korner.
“Abd-Al-Rahman had personally walked on the heads of injured men, women, and children,” the judge said, adding that the offender who fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 when a new Sudanese government announced its intention to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation voluntarily surrendered himself for trial.
“This voluntary surrender was one of several factors that mitigated the sentence, along with his age and good behaviour in detention.
“The chamber would have pronounced a higher sentence had it not been for the mitigating circumstances discussed.”
In passing sentence, Korner said the ICC wanted to ensure both retribution and deterrence in the verdict, adding that the deterrence is particularly apposite in the case, given the current situation in northeast African country and thereafter sentenced the convict accordingly.
The time he had already spent in detention since June 2020 would be deducted from the sentence.
