Who are those wanted by the ICC over Darfur?

Sudan’s transitional authorities have agreed that all those wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged atrocities in Darfur should appear before the tribunal in The Hague.

The list of suspects includes Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s former president who was overthrown last year in the face of mass protests against his 30-year rule.

Al-Bashir, who in December was sentenced by a Sudanese court to two years in detention for corruption, is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, charges he denies.

The ICC opened its investigation into Darfur in June 2005 following a referral to the court by the UN Security Council. An estimated 300,000 people were killed in the conflict that broke out in the region in 2003. Al-Bashir’s government had said the death toll was grossly exaggerated.

Who are the accused and what are they charged with?

Omar al-Bashir

• Who is he?
  Born in 1944, al-Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 and governed Sudan until 2019, when he was overthrown by the army following months-long demonstrations against his rule. He was the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC.

• Warrants for arrest:
  The ICC first issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on March 4, 2009, and again on July 12, 2010.

• Charges: 
  Five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape. 
  Two counts of war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging.
  Three counts of genocide: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm, and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.

• Status:
  Not in ICC custody.

Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein

• Who is he?
  One of al-Bashir’s closest aides, Hussein was minister of the interior and the president’s special representative in Darfur. He later also served as defence minister.

• Warrant for arrest:
  March 1, 2012.

• Charges:
  Seven counts of crimes against humanity: persecution, murder, forcible transfer, rape, inhumane acts, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, and torture.
  Six counts of war crimes: murder, attacks against a civilian population, destruction of property, rape, pillaging, and outrage upon personal dignity.

• Status:
  Not in ICC custody.

Ahmad Muhammad Harun

• Who is he?
  Born in 1964 (approximately), Harun served as state minister of the interior between 2003 and 2005. He later held a number of other official positions, including state minister of humanitarian affairs.

• Warrant for arrest:
  The ICC issued a warrant for his arrest on April 27, 2007.

• Charges:
  Twenty counts of crimes against humanity: murder, persecution, forcible transfer of population, rape, inhumane acts, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, and torture. 
  Twenty-two counts of war crimes: murder, attacks against the civilian population, destruction of property, rape, pillaging, and outrage upon personal dignity.

• Status:
  Not in ICC custody.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman (Ali Kushayb)

• Who is he? Born in 1957 (approximately), Aki Kushayb Kushayb was allegedly a Janjaweed militia commander who led deadly attacks on towns and villages. The pro-government Janjaweed were accused of committing atrocities during the conflict in Darfur.

• Warrant for arrest:
  April 27, 2012.

• Charges:
  Twenty-two counts of crimes against humanity: murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law, torture, persecution, inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering.
  Twenty-eight counts of war crimes: violence to life and person, outrage upon personal dignity in particular humiliating and degrading treatment, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population, pillaging, rape, destroying or seizing the property.

• Status:
  Not in ICC custody.

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain

• Who is he?
  Commander-in-chief of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Collective-Leadership, one of the components of the United Resistance Front, which fought against al-Bashir’s government.

• Warrant for arrest:
  September 11, 2014.

• Charges:
  Three counts of war crimes: violence to life, intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units and vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission, and pillaging.

• Status:
  He appeared before the court during the pre-trial stage of the hearing. Currently not in ICC custody since he has not appeared for his trial. The case also involved Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus, but proceedings against him were terminated on October 4, 2013, following his passing.