Prosecutors demand life as ICC prepares to sentence Sudan ‘axe murderer’

Convicted of Darfur atrocities successful the 2000s, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman claims helium is simply a unfortunate of mistaken identity.

Prosecutors person called for a beingness condemnation for a Sudanese militia person convicted of committing crimes against humanity during the East African country’s erstwhile civilian warfare much than 2 decades ago.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) opened a sentencing proceeding for Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (also known arsenic Ali Kushayb) connected Tuesday.

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The erstwhile day, authoritative Julian Nicholls had demanded the maximum punishment for the “enthusiastic, energetic and effectual perpetrator of abuses carried retired successful the occidental Darfur region”.

Prosecutors accidental that among his crimes, Abd-Al-Rahman killed 2 radical with an axe.

“You virtually person an axe murderer earlier you,” Nicholls told the judges successful The Hague, arsenic Abd-Al-Rahman looked on. “Only a beingness condemnation volition service the involvement of retribution and deterrence.”

Abd-Al-Rahman’s defence lawyers, who are asking for a seven-year jailhouse term, volition contiguous their lawsuit during Tuesday and Wednesday’s hearings.

Last month, Abd-Al-Rahman was convicted of 27 counts, including wide murders and rapes, for starring government-backed Janjaweed militia forces successful the Darfur portion successful occidental Sudan connected a run of sidesplitting and demolition from 2003 to 2004.

It was the archetypal clip the ICC had convicted a fishy of crimes successful Darfur, a portion that is erstwhile again seeing wide atrocities amid a vicious civilian war.

Wrong man

Abd-Al-Rahman has consistently denied being a high-ranking authoritative successful the Janjaweed militia, a mostly Arab paramilitary unit equipped by the Sudanese authorities to termination chiefly Black African tribes successful Darfur.

He has insisted since the opening of his proceedings successful April 2022 that helium is “not Ali Kushayb” and that the tribunal has got the incorrect antheral – an statement rejected by the judges.

Abd-Al-Rahman fled to the Central African Republic successful February 2020 erstwhile a caller Sudanese authorities announced its volition to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation.

He said helium past handed himself successful due to the fact that helium was “desperate” and feared authorities would termination him.

Fighting broke retired successful Sudan’s Darfur portion erstwhile non-Arab tribes, complaining of systematic discrimination, took up arms against the Arab-dominated government.

Khartoum responded by unleashing the Janjaweed, a unit present known arsenic the Popular Defence Forces and drawn from among the region’s nomadic tribes.

The United Nations says 300,000 radical were killed and 2.5 cardinal much were displaced successful the Darfur struggle successful the 2000s.

This representation drawback taken from handout video footage released connected Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Telegram relationship connected October 26, 2025, shows RSF fighters holding weapons and celebrating successful the streets of el-Fasher successful Sudan’s Darfur [AFP]

ICC prosecutors are hoping to contented much apprehension warrants related to the existent situation successful Sudan.

Tens of thousands person been killed and millions displaced successful the warfare betwixt the government-linked Sudanese service and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which traces its origins backmost to the Janjaweed militia.

The conflict, marked by claims of atrocities connected each sides, has created the “worst humanitarian situation successful the world”, according to the African Union.

At slightest 40,000 radical person been killed, according to the World Health Organization, and 12 cardinal others displaced.