The conviction of Janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman is the first conviction in the situation in Darfur, Sudan, and the first in a situation that the UN Security Council referred to the court.

The UN Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC’s prosecutor in 2005, granting jurisdiction to the court despite Sudan not being a state party to the Rome Statute.

In another significant milestone, the case represents the ICC’s first conviction for gender-based persecution.

The Janjaweed militia, alongside Sudanese government forces, was responsible for widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population in West Darfur, Sudan during an armed conflict involving rebel armed groups between at least August 2003 and March 2004.

The judges of Trial Chamber I unanimously found Mr Abd-Al-Rahman guilty beyond reasonable doubt for crimes including murder, torture and outrages upon personal dignity.

He was also found guilty of rape as a war crime and a crime against humanity, among other gender-based crimes, including the crime against humanity of persecution of males from the Fur tribe on political, ethnic and gender grounds.

Nazhat Shameem Khan, deputy prosecutor at the ICC, said: “The conviction of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman is a crucial step towards closing the impunity gap in Darfur.

“It sends a resounding message to perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan, both past and present, that justice will prevail, and that they will be held accountable for inflicting unspeakable suffering on Darfuri civilians, men, women and children.

“The judges’ decision is a tribute to the bravery of many thousands of Darfuri victims, who hoped and fought for justice through the years.

“Upholding the laws of armed conflict, the judgment affirms the fundamental value and dignity of the lives of the Darfuri people.”

Following yesterday’s conviction, judges will now consider the appropriate sentence for Mr Abd-Al-Rahman.

ICC prosecutors have also renewed their call for the arrest of individuals with outstanding warrants in the situation in Darfur, including former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, Ahmad Harun and Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein.

“Decades later, the renewed violence from 2023 and the generational suffering and trauma underline that without justice, there can be no lasting peace,” the ICC prosecutor’s office said.

Ms Khan added: “Today we have shown what we can achieve when we work together, with victims, national authorities and based on the mandate and support of the UN Security Council.

“This moment also represents a vindication of the decision of the Council to refer this matter for action to our office.

“And we are working to ensure that the trial of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman will be the first of a number in relation to the situation in Darfur at the International Criminal Court.

“Our collective resolve, this partnership for accountability between survivors and the international community, will continue to be indispensable as we seek to end the cycle of violence and impunity that continues to afflict the Darfuri people.”