Two Sudanese rebel leaders who gave themselves up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague appeared in court on Thursday to answer to war crimes charges brought against them.

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus came voluntarily to the ICC on Wednesday after being secretly indicted last year. The two men face three counts of war crimes over an attack on a military base in Haskanita, North Darfur, in September 2007 that killed 12 African Union (AU) peacekeepers and injured another eight soldiers.

Revolutionaries
Describing themselves as revolutionaries, both said they welcomed the chance to clear their names and urged others wanted by the court to follow suit.

"I came here voluntarily in response to the summons of the ICC and I call upon everyone who has been summonsed by this court to come here to exonerate themselves," Banda, born in 1963, told a panel of three judges as he made his first appearance before them in a grey, short-sleeved suit.

Justice
“We are here to achieve justice and I call on everyone who is wanted for justice to appear before this court,” said his co-accused Jerbo, 33, dressed in a dark suit and tie.

ICC prosecutors say the attack was carried out by fighters of the Sudanese Liberation Army-Unity under the command of Jerbo, and splinter forces of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Banda. The men also allegedly destroyed the infrastructure of the military base and stole items like refrigerators, computers, cell phones, vehicles, fuel, ammunition and money.

A spokesman for JEM said he salutes the courage of the two men and reiterated the group’s support to the ICC to serve justice.

No reaction
Banda and Jerbo, both wearing headphones, sat expressionless as the charge sheet was read to them in court:

“The chamber finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Banba and Mr Jerbo are criminally responsible as co-perpetrators or as indirect co-perpetrators for the war crime of murder, the war crime of attacking personnel or objects involved in a peacekeeping mission and the war crime of pillage.”

Presiding Judge Sylvia Steiner set 22 November as the date for a hearing to confirm the charges against the two men - a requirement before the case can go to trial. They were free to leave the Netherlands after Thursday's hearing, and were not obliged to be present for the next one.

Darfur cases
The case is the fourth before the ICC involving alleged war crimes in Darfur. Earlier this year, charges against another rebel leader in the Haskanita attack were dropped. The judges ruled prosecutors could not prove that Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, who also gave himself up voluntarily, had planned the attack on the AU camp in September 2007.

Arrest warrants for Darfur war crimes are outstanding for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, as well as former government minister Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Koshayb. President al-Bashir rejects the jurisdiction of the ICC, the world's only independent, permanent court with authority to try genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The ICC, which has no police force and depends on states signed up to its charter to make arrests, has appealed to the UN Security Council to press Sudan to arrest Mr Harun and Mr Koshayb.

The United Nations says more than 300,000 people have been killed since the Darfur conflict broke out in 2003, when minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government for a greater share of resources and power. President al-Bashir’s government puts the death toll at 10,000.