The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague commenced the trial of the former leader of the Sudanese Janjaweed militia for atrocities committed in western Darfur on Tuesday.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, alias Ali Kushayb, is charged with 31 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, rape, intentional homicide, and torture committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.

Additionally, he is charged with murder, kidnapping, humiliation, and racism against citizens in the problematic region. Kushayb maintains his innocence.

"I deny all of these unfounded allegations and maintain my innocence," he testified in court.

Kushayb surrendered to the ICC in the Central African Republic in June 2020.

Additionally, the ICC charged several former Sudanese officials with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in connection with the Darfur situation, including former President Omar al-Bashir, former Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussein, and Ahmed Haroun, the former head of Bashir's ruling party.

Since 2003, Darfur has been the site of a bloody conflict between the Sudanese government and three rebel factions. According to UN calculations, the fighting has killed 300,000 people and displaced over 2.5 million others.