Refugee rape rises in Darfur
2004-12-04 10:52
Geneva - Government-backed militia in Sudan's Darfur region continue to rape women refugees with complete impunity, according to a UN report, which said the overall humanitarian situation in Darfur was worsening.
"Sexual violence and rape continue to be reported in all three regions of Darfur," said José Diaz, a spokesperson for the UN High Commission on Human Rights, based on a report from a team of UN observers in the war-torn western region.
He said: "Women and girls are afraid to leave the camps... there is widespread impunity because the police refuse to register complaints by internally displaced person."
In their November report, the 16 observers also reported attempts by the Sudanese government to forcibly relocate civilians who have sought shelter from the fighting in camps in South Darfur, notably in Al Ger and Otash.
Diaz said the observers had brought all known cases of abuse to the attention of the authorites, to little effect.
Cases of abduction
Concerning the forced displacement of civilians, Diaz said UN staff were often powerless to act because the relocations were "undertaken by police and law enforcement officials".
Diaz also said the UN had been informed of cases of abduction of civilians by the Sudan Liberation Movement, one of two Darfur rebel movements that rose up against the Khartoum government early last year.
He said: "The situation is complex and continues to deteriorate."
Hostilities have flared in Darfur in recent weeks, with the government and rebels both refusing to take responsibility for violations of a ceasefire that was signed in April 2004.
The Darfur conflict erupted in February 2003, when rebels rose up to demand an end to the marginalisation of their region by Khartoum as well as a bigger share of Sudan's riches.
Khartoum, aided by a proxy Arab militia and the Janjaweed, cracked down on the rebels and their perceived supporters, creating what the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
According to the UN, more than 70 000 people have died from hunger and disease in the area and another 1.5 million have been displaced.