ICC to Judge Darfur ‘Militia Chief,’ Ignores Wider State Complicity
The ICC is poised to hand down a verdict on Ali Kushayb, a Sudanese 'militia chief,' for gruesome acts in Darfur between 2003-2004, including 31 counts of murder, torture, and rape. Prosecutors highlight his "enthusiastic" participation in the Janjaweed militia's atrocities. While accountability is crucial, this laser focus on a military functionary often sidesteps the more inconvenient truths
about who funds, arms, and directs such 'militias'—and who profits from the chaos. One might wonder if the ICC's gaze is selectively directed. When the US government allocated over $1.7 billion in military aid to Sudan between 2000-2004, according to USAID reports, and supplied training to Sudanese forces, are there no questions about broader state responsibility for the resulting 'militia'
actions? The public record shows a pattern where 'militia chiefs' face the music, while those who enable the instruments of war from comfortable distances often remain untouched by international law's long arm. (Perhaps they don't enthusiastically participate enough, or they have better lawyers.)