Sudanese security arrests 7 students in North Darfur
November 29, 2014 (EL FASHER) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Wednesday arrested seven university students in the locality of Mellit, 40km north-west of North Darfur capital El Fasher.
The students were sitting at a café in Mellit commercial market discussing claims of mass rape of 200 women by soldiers from the Sudanese army in Tabit, a village 45km south-west of North Darfur capital El-Fasher.
Mohamed Salih al-Zain, a relative of one of the detained students told Sudan Tribune that NISS officers on two vehicles stormed the café and arrested the students for discussing these claims.
He added the detainees were taken to NISS premises in Mellit, pointing when parents of the detained students went to inquire about the reasons for the detention, a NISS officer denied arrest of any student in the area.
Al-Zain held the government of North Darfur responsible for the physical and moral safety of the students, calling upon rights and civil society groups to put pressure on the government to release the detainees.
Social media has extensively circulated testimonies of victims from Tabit, a village 45km south-west of North Darfur capital El-Fasher, claiming that 200 women, including minors, were raped by soldiers from the Sudanese army (SAF).
Earlier this month, a verification team from the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) investigated the mass rape allegations and said it found no evidence proving the rape claims.
However, western media quoted UN officials as saying that the mission said in a secret report to the UN headquarters that witnesses were intimidated by the heavy presence of the Sudanese army during the investigation.
The Sudanese army vehemently denied these rape accusations, describing reports about the incident as “baseless and without justification”.
The Sudanese government refused to allow UNAMID’s team to conduct another investigation in Tabit, saying it is sceptical about the motives behind its insistence to visit the village for the second time.
Sudan ordered last week the closure of a human rights office of the UNAMID, saying it contradicts the mandate of the operation and incompatible with the agreement signed the Sudanese government.
(ST)