THE HAGUE – Hinatulang guilty ng International Criminal Court ang kauna-unahang Janjaweed militia leader na isinailalim sa paglilitis sa mga karahasan na ginawa nito sa Darfur region sa Sudan mahigit 20 taon na ang nakalilipas.
Napag-alaman ng korte na si Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman ay guilty ng 27 counts ng crimes against humanity at war crimes, kabilang ang rape, murder at persecution.
Malalaman kalaunan ang sentensya nito sa panibagong petsa ng bagong round ng mga pagdinig.
Isinampa ang reklamo laban sa militia leader noong 2005 ng korte ng United Nations Security Council.
Ayon kay Presiding judge Joanna Korner, nanindigan ang trial chamber na si Ali Kushayb, ay guilty sa lahat ng krimen na isinampa laban sa kanya at ibinasura ang depensa na siya ay biktima lamang ng mistaken identity.
“He encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed,” aniya.
Dagdag ni Korner, nagbigay siya ng kautusan “to wipe out and sweep away” non-Arab tribes at sinabihan din ang mga sundalo na “don’t leave anyone behind. Bring no one alive.”
“As victims, the ruling is a victory for us and for justice, because the crimes he committed had huge impacts for the last 22 years. We were displaced, made refugees in camps,” pahayag ni Jamal Abdallah, 32, na kinailangang lumikas mula sa kanyang tirahan sa West Darfur noong 2003.
Sinabi naman ni U.N. rights chief Volker Turk na ang conviction ay “an important acknowledgment of the enormous suffering endured by the victims of his heinous crimes, as well as a first measure of long overdue redress for them, and their loved ones”. RNT/JGC
