The Hague — A Sudanese man accused of orchestrating atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region told judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday that they had mistaken his identity. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, alleged to be the Janjaweed militia leader known as Ali Kushayb, denied involvement in the mass violence that took place during the peak of the conflict in 2003-2004.
“I am not Ali Kushayb. I don’t know this person,” Abd-Al-Rahman said, asserting that he surrendered to the court voluntarily in 2020 to clear his name. His lawyers have called for his acquittal.
The case is the first ICC trial addressing atrocities in Darfur, a region that faced widespread violence by pro-government Janjaweed militias. Prosecutors allege that Abd-Al-Rahman led militia fighters responsible for mass killings, torture, rape, and the destruction of villages during the conflict.
In closing arguments, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said witnesses had provided “detailed accounts” of the alleged crimes, which, he argued, proved the prosecution’s case beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial marks the culmination of an ICC investigation into crimes in Darfur, referred by the United Nations Security Council in 2005. However, several key suspects remain at large, including Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir, who faces an arrest warrant for genocide and other crimes.