Darfur: Abduction and Rape in Nyala

SOAT

1. On 16 September 2005, armed militias in military uniform, allegedly the Janjaweed, attacked and raped one girl (17 yrs, name withheld) and a woman (30 yrs, name withheld) 2 km West of Kalma Internally Displaced (IDP) Camp in Nyala. During the attack, the women were flogged before being raped.

2. On 13 September 2005, armed militias, allegedly the Janjaweed, raped six women (names withheld) from Kalma IDP Camp. The women were raped whilst fetching firewood outside the Camp at 11.00am.

3. On 13 September 2005, at 1.30pm, ten women were kidnapped whilst they were fetching firewood outside Kalma IDP Camp. The whereabouts of the abducted women are unknown. The incidents have been reported to the African Union Observers and to police officers at Beliel police station. The details of the kidnapped women whose whereabouts are unknown as follows:

– Alawea Ibrahim Mohamed

– Asha Yahya

– Hussneya Omer Khatir

– Osman Zakarea Musa

– Halima Yahya Adam

– Hawa Musa

– Asha Kitir

– Hajja Ahmed Mursal

– Hawa Ibraheam Mohamed

– Halima Yahya Adam

4. On 11 September 2005, a mother (45 yrs) and her daughter (17 yrs) were attacked by armed militias, allegedly the Janjaweed, 1 km outside Kalma IDP Camp in Nyala.

The IDPs were collecting firewood outside the camp. The militias flogged the IDPs, beat them with the butt of their guns and raped the 17 year old girl. The incident has been reported to Beliel police station.

5. On 06 September 2005, three armed men abducted an 18 year old female (name withheld) from Nyala. The men took the young woman to West of Nyala where they raped her.

The incident was reported to the police who sent her to the police hospital for medical examination. The medical report confirmed that the woman had been raped. The perpetrators which include one member of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) have been arrested and remain in police detention at Nyala.

In a separate incident on 11 September 2005, armed militias, allegedly the Janjaweed kidnapped six men from outside Kalma IDP Camp. The IDPs, who were travelling in their carts to the north of the Camp, were taken to a remote area near the Camp and subjected to severe beatings by the militias. The IDPs were beaten with sticks, flogged all over their bodies, and their carts were stolen.

The details of the men are as follows:

– Yahya Souleiman Mohamed

– Ali Haroun Soulieman

– Salah Ishag Ahmed

– Abdel Razig Sideag Ahmed

– Abubaker Ahmed Mohamed

– Yousif Soulieman Alhaj

SOAT strongly condemns the continual attack and sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. In light of evidence that attacks on civilians have subsided in the areas where African Union (AU) observers have been deployed, SOAT is particularly concerned that women and girls continue to venture outside IDP camps to undertake their regular tasks including fetching firewood and water without protection by AU observers stationed inside these camps.

On 01 September 2005, SOAT called on AU observers in the region to immediately investigate reports of a build-up of Janjaweed militias in North Darfur. This investigation has yet to begin; meanwhile the IDP population in the area continue to be subjected to rape, torture and kidnappings by marauding armed militias still present around IDP camps.

Currently there are approximately 700 known Janjaweed militias wearing military uniform with camels, 2 km North and East of Kalma Camp. Armed militias must be disarmed, and since the government is unwilling to undertake this task, the international community must force it upon them.

SOAT calls upon the government of Sudan and the African Union forces to investigate the alleged build-up of Janjaweed militias around Kalma IDP camp.

SOAT calls on the government of Sudan to:

+ Investigate the attacks and rapes of the women and girls and the kidnapping torture of the six men and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought before an impartial tribunal and guaranteed procedural rights at all times;
– Sudan and the African Union forces to investigate the alleged build-up of Janjaweed militias around Kalma IDP camp;
– Immediately disarm the Janjaweed militias and all armed militias operating in Darfur particularly outside known IDP Camps;
– Immediately adhere to it commitments under the ceasefire agreement;
– To comply with all UN Security resolutions and the UN commission on Human Rights Resolution which explicitly condemns “the continuation of violence against civilians and sexual violence against women and girls”;
– Guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

SOAT is an international human rights organisation established in the UK in 1993. If you have any questions about this or any other SOAT information, please contact us:

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