Sudan Has Launched an Investigation into Crimes Committed During the Darfur Conflict

Tagelsir al-Heber, Sudan's state prosecutor, has announced the country's investigation into crimes committed during the Darfur conflict under former President Omar al-Bashir, BBCreports.

The conflict and subsequent crimes committed in the Darfur region from 2003 left around 300,000 people dead and 2.5 million people displaced, France24adds. Warrants for al-Bashir's arrest were launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC) both in 2009 and 2010 on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. He has yet to be extradited to face trial for those charges.

al-Herber says the investigation will focus on "cases against former regime leaders" (including the numerous incidents of murder and rape) and hinted the trial could occur outside of the country at The Hague's International Criminal Court. Names were not revealed, though he adds that no one would be excluded from the trial.

Bashir was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption in the first of ongoing charges against him—including an investigation for his role in the 1989 coup that led him into power.

Sudan's transitional government has committed to make peace in regions hit by conflict, including Darfur, since coming into power after the movement that toppled Bashir.