Gunmen rape 8 women in South Darfur state

August 25, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – An unidentified group comprised of 20 gunmen has raped eight women, including two minors, in the locality of Buram, 80km south of the South Darfur capital, Nyala.

Ahmed Salih, a relative of one of the victims said that 20 armed men raped six women and two 10 year old girls while they were working at a farm.

He added that the gunmen, who were on horseback, broke into a farm and raped the women after threatening to kill them.

Salih said the victims were taken to Buram hospital for treatment, adding that the perpetrators fled the scene towards the southern direction of Buram locality.

Residents have denounced the incident, saying it was almost unheard of in the area.

A medical source at Buram hospital said two of the victims are in serious condition due to the brutal assault and their young age, stressing that doctors are ensuring they also receive psychological treatment.

South Darfur state has witnessed a near total security breakdown in recent months, with recurrent incidents of looting, banditry and murder, including from pro-government militias.

Businessmen and commercial convoys in South Darfur are regularly attacked by armed gangs which demand ransom for their release.

Last month, unidentified gunmen killed the commissioner of Katila county in South Darfur, Abdallah Yassin, who was returning to his home from Nyala.

Robbers last month also stormed a mall in Nyala and stole a large sum of money before escaping in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

On 15 July, the governor of South Darfur, Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared an indefinite state of emergency, including a curfew from 7pm to 7am in Nyala.

(ST)