After a 20-month investigation, the International Criminal Court this week named its first two war crimes suspects for attrocities committed in Sudan: Ahmed Haroun, the former interior minister in charge of Darfur (who now oversees "humanitarian affairs" for that government), and Ali Kushayb, a senior commander of the Janjaweed militias, widely blamed for much of the carnage in that region.

Ahmed Haroun

ABD RAOUF—AP

Both men stand accused of 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Haroun has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, but the prosecutor's statement makes for a compelling read. The document cites eyewitness accounts that tie both men to heinous acts in Darfur–including torture, murder, and mass rape–and links the government directly to the Janjaweed marauders.

Since 2003, the brutal conflict in Darfur has killed some 200,000 people and displaced nearly 2 million others.