Deadly Attacks in West Darfur Include Rape and Breach International Law

A report describes extensive looting during and after the attacks, and catalogs "consistent and credible accounts" of rape committed by armed men in uniform.


(DARFUR) - Recent attacks by militias and the Sudanese army on four villages in West Darfur that left at least 115 people dead and some 30,000 displaced violated international humanitarian and human rights law, a United Nations report released today has found.

The report, issued jointly by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), describes attacks on four villages north of El Geneina, the regional capital.

The attacks on the villages of Saraf Jidad, Sirba, Silea and Abu Suruj were carried out as part of a push by the Sudanese Government in late January and early February to drive back an insurgent group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The February 8th attacks involved aerial bombardments by helicopter gun ships and fixed-wing aircraft, accompanied by ground offensives by soldiers and armed militia on horses and camels, the report says.

The report describes extensive looting during and after the attacks, and catalogs “consistent and credible accounts” of rape committed by armed men in uniform.

"These actions violated the principle of distinction stated in international humanitarian law, failing to distinguish between civilian objects and military objective," the report concludes.

"Moreover, the scale of destruction of civilian property, including objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population, suggests that the damage was a deliberate and integral part of a military strategy," it adds. Read more >>>>>>>