• Ali Kushayb, a Sudanese militia leader, was convicted of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• This is the first conviction by the ICC related to the atrocities committed in Darfur.
• The court's ruling acknowledges the systematic violence faced by non-Arab communities in the region.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Darfur conflict over 20 years ago. This historic ruling marks the ICC's first conviction concerning the decade-long humanitarian disaster, where up to 300,000 people have died and millions have been displaced, primarily due to the actions of militias like the Janjaweed, which Kushayb led, according to BBC, Le Monde, and TRT Global.

Kushayb was found guilty of 27 counts, including murder, rape, and torture, during military operations from 2003 to 2004. The ICC's presiding judge, Joanna Korner, indicated that the evidence presented showed Kushayb not only gave orders but also participated in horrific acts himself, such as loading civilians onto trucks before executing them. "He encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings," Korner affirmed, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the conviction, as detailed by Africanews, Al Jazeera, and AllAfrica.

During the trial, more than 56 witnesses recounted harrowing testimonies of the attacks ordered by Kushayb, with some reporting he directed violence that included targeted rapes and mass executions. His conviction comes as Darfur continues to face severe violence, recently escalating with the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), an entity with origins in the Janjaweed, as observed by Reuters, NPR, and Africanews.

The ruling is seen as a critical step towards accountability for the atrocities faced by victims in Darfur, a region devastated by violence allegedly sanctioned by the Khartoum government under former President Omar al-Bashir. Al-Bashir himself remains at large, with outstanding warrants against him for genocide, as indicated by Middle East Eye and Le Monde.