Judges of the International Criminal Court on Thursday ended legal proceedings against the former leader of an armed group in Sudan's Darfur region, after the prosecution withdrew charges against Abdullah Banda Abakaer Nourain, known as Abdullah Banda.

The prosecution said the evidence against Banda, who faced charges of war crimes in connection with a 2007 attack on African Union peacekeeping forces, had weakened since the charges were confirmed more than a decade ago, specifically in 2011.

The prosecution added: 'There are no longer substantial grounds to believe that Mr. Banda is responsible for the crimes attributed to him.'

The judges said the withdrawal of charges and the termination of the case do not prevent the prosecution from filing a similar case against him at a later time.

Banda was a leader in the Justice and Equality Movement, one of the two main armed groups in Darfur, during the conflict that erupted in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the Sudanese government. The movement is led by Jibril Ibrahim, who currently serves as Sudan's finance minister.

In response, the Sudanese government at the time mobilized militias known as the Janjaweed to suppress the rebellion, leading to a wave of violence that the United States and human rights organizations said amounted to genocide.

The United Nations Security Council referred the case to the International Criminal Court in 2005.

In 2023, a new war erupted in Darfur and across Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, widely seen as having emerged from the Janjaweed.

The International Criminal Court has so far conducted only one trial regarding atrocities committed in Darfur, sentencing a Janjaweed leader to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

There are three arrest warrants issued by the court for suspects wanted in connection with the Darfur conflict that took place between 2003 and 2005, including former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces genocide charges.

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