The trial of a former Janjawid leader began this week before the International Criminal Court. Ali Kushayb is on trial there for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur in 2003-2004. This is the first trial for crimes committed in this region of Sudan by the auxiliary militias of the regime of former President Omar al-Bashir.
At the start of his trial, Ali Kushayb pleaded not guilty. According to the United Nations, the conflict has left around 300,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced.
Twenty years after the events, the opening of this trial is a relief for many inhabitants of Darfur who finally see in it the beginning of justice.
” There have been many crimes committed in Darfur and unfortunately no one has ever been punished for these crimes, explains Hussein Harran, a civil society activist. My family suffered from the abuses of the janjawid; some are in camps for the displaced, others are refugees in Chad; I myself was arrested by the janjawid when I was a student. Today most of us are happy because we have been asking for this justice for a long time “.
The opening of Ali Kushayb’s trial in The Hague was broadcast on state television in Darfur.
For Manara asad Begira, who lost her father at the age of 4 in this conflict and grew up in a camp for displaced people. This trial is a victory for women in particular. ” Women in displacement camps finally have some hope for justice, she laments. Women were the first victims of this conflict. A majority of them have been raped, displaced and have lost their husbands. They are the ones who have suffered the most violence. They hope that other trials will follow “.
Four other Sudanese – accused of crimes in Darfur – are wanted by the ICC including a former minister, a former governor, and former President Omar al-Bashir.