Sudan asks UNAMID to embark on exit strategy from Darfur
November 21, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s foreign ministry told western diplomats and international organisations in Khartoum on Friday that it has informed the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) two weeks ago to begin an exit strategy from the restive region.
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).
The foreign ministry undersecretary, Abdalla al-Azrag, said in a press conference on Friday following his meeting with the European Union (EU) envoys, the United States chargé d’affaires and representatives of the international organisations in Sudan that they informed the UNAMID two weeks ago to embark on an exit strategy from Darfur.
Since Thursday evening, the Sudanese foreign ministry has started a series of meetings with the accredited ambassadors in Khartoum to brief them on the mass rape allegations in Tabit.
Al-Azrag pointed the exit strategy is a long process which involves an internationally recognised procedures, saying they are going to follow these procedures in their dealing with UNAMID.
He added that the mission has put an extra burden on the Sudanese government. The Sudanese official was alluding to the protection of UNAMID civil and military personnel by the Sudan Armed Forces.
The Sudanese diplomat further said that if the money which had been spent on UNAMID was spent on reconstruction and development projects, Darfur would have turned into a developed area.
UNAMID has not commented on these statements.
BIGGER ACTION AGAINST KHARTOUM
Al-Azrag pointed they think that the UN Security Council (UNSC) is preparing for a bigger action against Sudan, saying “that is why we refused to allow UNAMID to conduct a second investigation in the village”.
He stressed the UNSC on Thursday issued a statement urging the government to allow UNAMID access to Tabit, noting the government sees this statement as an attempt to escalate the situation and take actions against Sudan.
The Sudanese diplomat added the attempts to reinvestigate the incident are meant to humiliate Sudan and violate its sanctity, underscoring that no respected government accept such an insult.
He emphasised that the special prosecutor for crimes in Darfur, Yasir Ahmed Mohamed, is currently present in Tabit to investigate the mass rape claims, saying the latter met with more than 120 villagers and will continue to meet with all residents without exception.
On Thursday, Al-Azrag told the Arab, African, Asian and South American ambassadors to Khartoum that mass rape claims were nothing but a reaction by some circles to Sudan’s demand for UNAMID to embark on an exit strategy in order to prove that the situation in Darfur has not stabilized.
“We expect [them] to fabricate more crises in order to further the stay of UNAMID mission in Darfur,” he said.
He underscored that Tabit was targeted in order to disrupt the implementation of the reconstruction and development projects launched by Qatar, saying Tabit is considered a model village and center of attraction for the IDPs.
Meanwhile, the head of the combating violence against woman department at the Sudanese ministry of justice, Attiyat Mustafa, has expressed surprise over UNAMID’s request to conduct another investigation on mass rape claims in Tabit.
She said in a press conference on Friday that the mission’s demand causes social chaos in the village, saying they organized a march to protest against the media campaigns which distorted the image of women in Darfur and particularly in Tabit.
Mustafa considered these campaigns as violate woman rights in the village, pointing out the international, humanitarian and human rights laws prevent exploitation of woman in any field.
She demanded the UN Security Council (UNSC), UN and UNAMID to immediately stop what she described as the “unfair campaign against Sudan and women of Tabit”, saying there is no evidence to prove the rape claims.
On 9 November, a UNAMID verification team investigated the rape allegations in Tabit and said it found no evidence proving the rape claims.
However, recent media reports 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”.
Sudan has refused to allow the mission access to Tabit to conduct another investigation despite repeated calls from the UN chief and the UNSC.
(ST)