Bahr Idriss Abu Garda
Encyclopedia
Bahr Idriss Abu Garda is the leader of the United Resistance Front, a rebel group fighting against the Sudan
ese government in Darfur
. He is a former commander of the Justice and Equality Movement
.
Abu Garda was summonsed to appear before the International Criminal Court
for alleged war crime
s relating to a 2007 attack
in which twelve African Union peacekeepers
were killed. He is the first person ever to appear voluntarily before the ICC, and the first person to appear before the court in connection with the war in Darfur
. He denies the allegations against him and says "I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty". The hearing to confirm the charges against him was held from 19 - 29 October 2009, ending in a decision by the judges not to confirm the charges
, Sudan
and is a member of the Zaghawa tribe.
From January 2005 to September 2007, he was vice-president of the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM), an armed Islamist group which fought against the Sudanese government and pro-government militia groups in Darfur. He split with the JEM and on 4 October 2007 he participated in the formation of a new armed group called the JEM Collective Leadership.
As of May 2009, he is the leader of the United Resistance Front (URF), another rebel group.
s in relation to a 2007 operation
in which about a thousand rebels surrounded and attacked a camp of African Union peacekeepers
in Haskanita, Darfur, killing twelve of them.
On 7 May 2009, a Pre-Trial Chamber found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Abu Garda was criminally responsible on three counts of war crime
s: murder
, pillaging
, and intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping
mission. The prosecutor submitted that an arrest warrant was unnecessary since Abu Garda had expressed his willingness to appear before the court, so the court issued a summons ordering him to appear before the court on 18 May 2009. Abu Garda flew to The Hague
by commercial airliner on 17 May and became the first person ever to appear voluntarily before the ICC.
Abu Garda denies all the charges against him, and claims to be the victim of a dispute between the URF and the JEM, which has said it helped to collect evidence against him. He says "I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty".
After his initial appearance before the court on 18 May 2009, he left the Netherlands to return to his soldiers. The hearing to confirm the charges against him took place from 19-29 October 2009, and ended with a decision not the confirm the charges. This concludes the legal proceedings against Abu Garda for the time being.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese government in Darfur
War in Darfur
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
. He is a former commander of the Justice and Equality Movement
Justice and Equality Movement
The Justice and Equality Movement is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan, led by Khalil Ibrahim. Along with other rebel groups, such as the Sudan Liberation Movement , they are fighting against the Sudanese Government, including the government's proxy militia, the Janjaweed...
.
Abu Garda was summonsed to appear before the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
for alleged war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s relating to a 2007 attack
Haskanita raids
The Haskanita raids was an attack on African Union peacekeepers by rebel groups during the Darfur conflict. The attacks took place on 30 September and early October 2007 near the town of Haskanita in South Darfur...
in which twelve African Union peacekeepers
African Union Mission in Sudan
The African Union Mission in Sudan was an African Union peacekeeping force operating primarily in the country's western region of Darfur with the aim of performing peacekeeping operations related to the Darfur conflict. Originally founded in 2004, with a force of 150 troops, by mid-2005, its...
were killed. He is the first person ever to appear voluntarily before the ICC, and the first person to appear before the court in connection with the war in Darfur
War in Darfur
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
. He denies the allegations against him and says "I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty". The hearing to confirm the charges against him was held from 19 - 29 October 2009, ending in a decision by the judges not to confirm the charges
Biography
Abu Garda was born in Nana, North DarfurNorth Darfur
North Darfur is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It is one of the three states composing the Darfur region. It has an area of 296,420 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,583,000 . Al-Fashir is the capital of the state...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and is a member of the Zaghawa tribe.
From January 2005 to September 2007, he was vice-president of the Justice and Equality Movement
Justice and Equality Movement
The Justice and Equality Movement is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan, led by Khalil Ibrahim. Along with other rebel groups, such as the Sudan Liberation Movement , they are fighting against the Sudanese Government, including the government's proxy militia, the Janjaweed...
(JEM), an armed Islamist group which fought against the Sudanese government and pro-government militia groups in Darfur. He split with the JEM and on 4 October 2007 he participated in the formation of a new armed group called the JEM Collective Leadership.
As of May 2009, he is the leader of the United Resistance Front (URF), another rebel group.
International Criminal Court prosecution
On 20 November 2008, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, presented evidence to the court alleging that Abu Garda and two other rebel commanders were guilty of war crimeWar crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s in relation to a 2007 operation
Haskanita raids
The Haskanita raids was an attack on African Union peacekeepers by rebel groups during the Darfur conflict. The attacks took place on 30 September and early October 2007 near the town of Haskanita in South Darfur...
in which about a thousand rebels surrounded and attacked a camp of African Union peacekeepers
African Union Mission in Sudan
The African Union Mission in Sudan was an African Union peacekeeping force operating primarily in the country's western region of Darfur with the aim of performing peacekeeping operations related to the Darfur conflict. Originally founded in 2004, with a force of 150 troops, by mid-2005, its...
in Haskanita, Darfur, killing twelve of them.
On 7 May 2009, a Pre-Trial Chamber found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Abu Garda was criminally responsible on three counts of war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s: murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, pillaging
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, and intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
mission. The prosecutor submitted that an arrest warrant was unnecessary since Abu Garda had expressed his willingness to appear before the court, so the court issued a summons ordering him to appear before the court on 18 May 2009. Abu Garda flew to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
by commercial airliner on 17 May and became the first person ever to appear voluntarily before the ICC.
Abu Garda denies all the charges against him, and claims to be the victim of a dispute between the URF and the JEM, which has said it helped to collect evidence against him. He says "I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty".
After his initial appearance before the court on 18 May 2009, he left the Netherlands to return to his soldiers. The hearing to confirm the charges against him took place from 19-29 October 2009, and ended with a decision not the confirm the charges. This concludes the legal proceedings against Abu Garda for the time being.
External links
- The Prosecutor v. Bahr Idriss Abu Garda — public court records relating to the ICC trial
- Video footage of Abu Garda's initial appearance before the ICC