The accused was at the time Interior Minister and the Darfur Special Representative of President Omar al-Beshir. According to the judges, there are reasonable grounds to believe that he is criminally responsible for persecution, murders, rape, inhumane acts and attacks against civilian population, among others. "The plan of the counter-insurgency was allegedly formulated at the highest levels of the government", the judges stated.
Hussein is accused of having supervising a state policy organizing and coordinating attacks against civilians.
According to Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, "Mr Hussein played a central role in recruiting, mobilizing, funding, arming, training and the deployment of the militia/Janjaweed as part of the Government of Sudan forces, with the knowledge that these forces would commit the crimes".
On December 2, 2011, the Prosecution had requested the court to issue an arrest warrant for Hussein.
This case is the ICC's fourth case in Darfur. ICC judges have issued arrest warrants against Sudanese President al-Bashir, former Interior Minister Ahmed Harun and Militia leader Ali Kusheyb. None of them has been arrested yet.
SM/GF
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