The Hague, July 24 (Darfur24)
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber IV on Thursday terminated proceedings against Abdac ah Banda Abakar Nourain and revoked the arrest warrant issued against him, after granting the prosecution’s request to withdraw the charges.
The case stems from a 2007 attack on African Union peacekeepers in Haskanita, North Darfur. The ICC charged Banda with war crimes and issued an arrest warrant in 2010. In July 2026, the prosecution sought to withdraw the charges, while reserving the right to reopen the case in the future if legal grounds emerge.
On July 15, the chamber granted the prosecution’s request after reconsidering an earlier ruling that had rejected the application.
The judges said the prosecution had failed to demonstrate that the evidence supporting the confirmed charges had deteriorated to the extent that the case could no longer proceed to trial. However, they concluded that moving forward with a trial despite the prosecution’s refusal to present its case would undermine the court’s obligation to ensure a fair and effective process.
While disagreeing with the prosecution’s reasoning, the chamber said it had reconsidered its earlier decision to avoid potential injustice and therefore approved the withdrawal of the charges.
The court stressed that the decision does not prevent prosecutors from bringing a new case against Banda based on the same or similar facts if the legal requirements are met.
To ensure transparency, the chamber ordered the parties to file public, redacted versions of submissions related to the withdrawal request or seek their reclassification for public release. It also held a public hearing on the matter on July 21, 2026.