Trial Chamber IV of the International Criminal Court (ICC) scheduled the opening of the trial in the case The Prosecutor v. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain on 18 November 2014, for three charges of war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur, Sudan.
On 16 April 2014, Trial Chamber IV had vacated the date of the opening of the trial in this case, initially scheduled for 5 May 2014, in view of logistical difficulties encountered.
Background: Abdallah Banda faces three charges of war crimes (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). These crimes were allegedly committed in an attack carried out on 29 September 2007, against African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan, at the Haskanita Military Group Site, in the Umm Kadada locality of North Darfur, Sudan. While the case initially involved Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus, Trial Chamber IV terminated the proceedings against him on 4 October 2013, upon receiving evidence pointing towards his death. Abdallah Banda is not in the Court’s custody as he is facing trial under a summons to appear.
The situation in Darfur was referred to the ICC by United Nations Security Council resolution 1593 on 31 March 2005, under article 13(b) of the Rome Statute.
