Arabic version: الجنائية الدولية تستمع إلى مطالبات بتعويضات لضحايا علي كوشيب في دارفور
According to Allafrica, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has heard calls for tangible reparations for victims of crimes in Darfur linked to Ali Kushayb, as their legal representative said many have waited more than two decades for redress.
Trial Chamber I heard submissions on the scope and implementation of reparations from victims’ representatives, the prosecution, the Trust Fund for Victims, the Registry, victim-supporting and human-rights organisations, amicus curiae, the Sudanese government if represented, and the defence. A decision will be issued later.
Natalie von Wistinghausen, the victims’ legal representative, said consultations and surveys generated more than 1,100 responses. She said reparations should deliver real change rather than symbolic recognition alone. Proposed measures include return and reintegration support, symbolic financial compensation, income-generating projects, medical assistance, support for vulnerable groups and education.
For refugees in Chad, identified priorities include healthcare, children’s education, food security, income-generating activities and self-sufficiency. Von Wistinghausen said victims held differing views on individual payments and that a single compensation model should be avoided.
She said return to original land was central to victims’ identities and livelihoods. Victims sought recognition of a right to return and practical steps toward eventual restitution, including mapping and documentation of villages, boundaries, roads, wells, schools, markets, cemeteries and links between families and land. She also cited challenges involving beneficiaries, resources, security, logistics and cooperation from Sudanese authorities.
Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, was found guilty on 6 October 2025 of 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur between August 2003 and April 2004. He was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on 9 December 2025; defence and prosecution appeals on the sentence remain pending.
