Uniformed military rape three women, two girls in Darfur

November 4, 2008 (EL FASHER) – Two girls aged 11 and 12 were
gang-raped by armed men in uniforms in Darfur, according to incidents
documented over the last week by the African Union-United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

Three more women were raped during the same period. In all, there were
five incidents of rape reported and two incidents of attempted rape by
unknown armed men.

The attacks were accompanied with physical assaults.

Government officials deny that a pattern of mass rape has taken place
in Darfur. Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir said, “the Darfurian
society does not have rape. It’s not in their tradition,” in an
interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News.

But International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo is
seeking Bashir’s arrest for crimes of rape constituting part of a
genocidal campaign against the Zaghawa, Massalit and Fur ethnic
groups.

UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million
driven from their homes in the Darfur war, which began in 2003. Sudan
blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the
death toll at 10,000.

(ST)