Sudanese militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, has been found guilty by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Darfur over 20 years ago.

Ali Kushayb was one of the leaders of the Janjaweed, a government-backed group that terrorised Darfur, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Survivors testified that he ordered his men to “wipe out” non-Arab communities during the conflict, which killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. The militia leader was found guilty on 27 counts, centring on attacks committed between 2003 and 2004.

The Darfur war, which began in 2003 when the government armed Janjaweed militias to crush a rebellion by non-Arab groups, led to accusations of genocide. Kushayb’s sentencing will take place at a later date. Several Sudanese officials, including former President Omar al-Bashir, still face outstanding ICC arrest warrants.