Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain (Banda)

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain (Banda) is a member of the Zaghawa tribe of Sudan, and is the current Commander‐in‐Chief of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Collective‐Leadership, one of the components of the United Resistance Front.

Banda was allegedly in command of the splinter forces of the JEM during an attack carried out on 29 September 2007, on the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), a peace-keeping mission stationed at the Haskanita Military Group Site (MGS Haskanita) in the locality of Umm Kadada in North Darfur, Sudan. It is alleged that the attackers killed 12 and severely wounded eight soldiers, destroyed communications facilities and other materials and appropriated property belonging to the AMIS.

Pre-Trial Chamber I  at the International Criminal Court (ICC) considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Banda is criminally responsible as a co-perpetrator or as indirect co-perpetrator for three war crimes under article 25 of the Rome Statute.

In particular Banda is charged with violence to life, in the form of murder, whether committed or attempted; intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission and pillaging.

Banda arrived voluntarily before the Court for his initial hearing on 17 June 2010 following a summons to appear issued on 27 August 2009 by Pre-Trial Chamber I. The confirmation of charges hearing will be held on 22 November 2010.