Darfur 24-THE HAGUE
The International Criminal Court Prosecutor opened a hearing Monday of evidence against an alleged leader of a notorious militia blamed for atrocities in Darfur, perpetrator of crimes in the conflict-torn region of Sudan in 2003-2004.
Ali Mohammed Ali Abdul Rahman Ali, known as Ali Kushayb, is charged with a total of 31 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes dating back to the deadly Darfur conflict in 2003 and 2004 including murder, rape, torture and persecution.
Leader of the armed militia in Darfur, Kosheib, was arrested in June last year by United Nations forces in Central Africa.
Darfur 24 was the only one to publish the news of the arrest, which took place in coordination between the United Nations Mission in Central Africa and the Sultan of one of the tribes in the country.
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s comments came at the start of the first presentation at the global court of evidence against a suspect charged with involvement in crimes by the Janjaweed militia in Darfur.
“It is my great privilege to be present here today when finally one of the suspects in the Darfur situation is before this court to face independent and impartial justice,” Bensouda said. “Let me express my sincere respect and admiration for the courage, patience and resilience of the Darfur victims who have waited for so long for this day to arrive.”
The conflict in Darfur broke out when rebels from the territory’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum.
The government of now-deposed President Omar al-Bashir’s government responded with a scorched-earth campaign of aerial bombings and unleashed Janjaweed militias, who are accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes.
ensouda visited Khartoum last year to discuss cooperation in efforts to bring to justice suspects charged by the Hague-based court with involvement in Darfur atrocities. She said Monday she will visit again next week, including her first trip to Darfur.
Human Rights Watch welcomed Monday’s hearing as an important step toward justice for victims, but the group’s associate international justice director Elise Keppler added that “the absence of al-Bashir and the three other Darfur suspects at the ICC is a major shortcoming that the Sudanese authorities should promptly address.”