UNAMID applauds sentence for rapist of female peacekeeper in Darfur

September 22, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The hybrid African Union-UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has welcomed the sentence handed down by a Sudanese court in El-Fasher for a man convicted of raping a Rwandan peacekeeper during a burglary on the house of three female UNAMID police advisers.

The incident dates backs to 10 April when four armed men broke into the private residence of three Rwandan peacekeepers in the capital of North Darfur state and one of the police advisers was sexually assaulted. However, the police successfully arrested the four suspects as their trial started in June.

On Sunday the official news agency (SUNA) reported that Sudanese court sentenced three suspects to three years in prison for having committed armed robbery and underscored that the rapist was sentenced with additional 5 years.

UNAMID spokesperson Ashraf Eissa welcomed the sentence and indicated that the trial lasted from 5 June to 18 September. He further underscored that “This is the first case in which an attack against UNAMID peacekeepers has been brought to trial and the perpetrators sentenced”.

“UNAMID commends the excellent collaboration between the mission and the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Darfur Crimes and calls on the Government of Sudan to further pursue and enhance this cooperation and ensure that all perpetrators of crimes against UNAMID peacekeepers be brought to justice,” Eissa said in a written statement emailed to Sudan Tribune.

According to SUNA, a judge at the El-Fashir criminal court, al-Sadiq Dirar Mukhtar, sentenced the three suspects to prison terms under counts of theft, looting and aid and abet, while the second suspect received an additional jail term for rape.

The head of the prosecution team, Ali Karam-Allah Morsi, said he and two other prosecutors, Makram Rizg-Allah and Mohamed Haroun, from the office of the special prosecutor for Darfur crimes investigated the case, noting that representatives of UNAMID’s legal affairs office had attended the court sessions.

Morsi said that the office of the special prosecutor had led investigations into the incident due to the significance of the case, mentioning the role of UNAMID in achieving peace and security in Darfur.

(ST)