Annan faults Khartoum for not halting Darfur rape

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS, March 11 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused the Sudanese government on Friday of refusing to rein in militia in Darfur who continue to attack civilians and rape women and girls with impunity.

Sudanese youngsters move together while collecting firewood in fear of militia attacks in the remote village of Gokar. (AFP).

In a scathing report to the U.N. Security Council, Annan again sounded alarm bells, saying fighting continued in the western region and peace talks were going nowhere.

“In sum, the security situation in three Darfur states remains a great concern, with prospects for continued fighting between the rebel movements, Janjaweed (militia) and government forces and direct attacks on civilians still in evidence.”

“The Janjaweeds’ boldness, be it in regard to theft, attacks on civilians or armed movements, is a direct consequence of inaction by the government to rein in, let alone disarm or arrest these groups,” Annan wrote.

Tens of thousands of civilians have died over the past two years in Darfur when African rebels attacked the Arab-dominated government over power and resources. In response, the government armed some militia, the most brutal ones known as Janjaweed, who have conducted a scorched earth campaign, killed and raped and driven 2 million people from their homes.

Annan said police failed to properly investigate rape complaints and in the Mukjar area in the west, they arrested single pregnant women as a result of rape.

“The police have been known to arrest those who report the alleged crime,” Annan said.

The government in the predominantly Muslim country has accused media and aid groups of exaggerating the extent of rape. The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said this week that most victims interviewed said they had been gang raped by militiamen or government soldiers.

As for the rebel groups, Annan said they did not “inspire much confidence” were harassing and kidnapping relief workers and stealing supplies to feed their families.

The main bulwark against atrocities in Darfur is the African Union, which has close to 2,000 troops and observers in the region. The report said not enough African nations have volunteered personnel and that the force needed more outside help to be able to deploy properly.

Annan has urged the Security Council to adopt a U.S.-drafted resolution, which has been negotiated for a month. A vote is expected next week but so far there is agreement only on sending a 10,000-member peacekeeping force to southern Sudan to monitor a landmark accord that ended 21 years of civil war.

On Darfur, the council has not yet agreed to U.S. proposals for a travel ban and asset freeze on those who impede the peace process, conduct offensive military overflights or are responsible for atrocities.

Stuart Holliday, a senior U.S. envoy, said Washington would also insist on stopping offensive military flights that have unintimidated villagers.

In addition council members are still at odds over where to try cases of gross human rights violations. The United States is opposed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague and instead has proposed a new tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, which no other council member supports.