THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An alleged leader of a feared Sudanese militia goes on trial Tuesday at the International Court on 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the first case there to deal with atrocities by government-backed forces in the Darfur province nearly two decades ago.

The trial opens amid global condemnation of atrocities blamed on Russian forces in the Ukraine war and is a reminder that international courts can and do bring alleged perpetrators of crimes to justice, even if the painstaking process can be long and slow.

Prosecutors say that Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was a senior commander in the janjaweed militias during the Darfur conflict that erupted when rebels from the territory’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in the capital, Khartoum.

Then-President Omar al-Bashir’s government responded with a campaign of aerial bombings and raids by the janjaweed, which has been accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes in Darfur over the years.

Al-Bashir, who has been in prison in Khartoum since he was ousted from power in 2019, also faces ICC charges of genocide and crimes against humanity related to the Darfur conflict.

Kushayb is suspected of crimes allegedly committed between August 2003 and at least April 2004 in Darfur including murder, torture, rape, persecution and attacking civilians. He will be asked to enter pleas to the charges as the trial opens Tuesday morning.

The trial is "a long-awaited chance for victims and communities terrorized by the notorious janjaweed militia and government forces in Darfur to see a leader held to account,” said Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “In the face of steep odds and no other credible options, the ICC is serving as the crucial court of last resort for Darfuris.”

She called on Sudanese authorities to send other Darfur suspects, including al-Bashir to the ICC to face justice.

The trial opens amid a recent rise in violence in Darfur, which has seen deadly clashes between rival tribes in recent months as the country remains mired in a wider crisis following last year’s coup, when top generals overthrew a civilian-led government.