04.06.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Sudanese women and girls are trafficked within the country and to Middle Eastern countries; militia groups in Darfur abduct women for forced labour and sexual exploitation; thousands of Dinka and Nuba children and women have been abducted and enslaved ("Trafficking in Persons Report 2008") [ID 23838]

"Sudanese women and girls are trafficked within the country, as well as possibly to Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, for domestic servitude.

In 2007, Greek law enforcement authorities identified a female sex trafficking victim from Sudan. [...]

Militia groups in Darfur, some of which are linked to the government, abduct women for short periods of forced labor and to perpetrate sexual violence.

Forcible recruitment of adults and particularly children by virtually all armed groups involved in Sudan's concluded north-south civil war was commonplace; thousands of children still associated with these forces await demobilization and reintegration into their communities of origin.

In addition to the exploitation of children by armed groups during the two decades-long northsouth civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were abducted and subsequently enslaved by members of the Missiriya and Rezeigat tribes during this time.

An unknown number of children from the Nuba tribe were similarly abducted and enslaved.

A portion of those who were abducted and enslaved remained with their abductors in South Darfur and West Kordofan and experienced varying types of treatment; others were sold or given to third parties, including in other regions of the country; and some ultimately escaped from their captors.

While there have been no known new abductions of Dinka by members of Baggara tribes in the last few years, inter-tribal abductions continue in southern Sudan, especially in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states."

Document(s): Country Narratives: S through Z
Full Report

28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Rape continued to be widespread in 2007; several internally displaced women were raped as they went to collect firewood; FGM continued to be practised in Northern Sudan ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23352]

"Rape continued to be widespread, especially of displaced women and girls collecting firewood outside their camps.

Sometimes women were beaten, or attacked but managed to escape. They rarely reported what happened to the police.

Men continued to leave the task of collecting firewood to women because the men feared being killed if they ventured outside the camps.

Several internally displaced women, including teenage girls, were raped as they went outside IDP camps in Zalingei to collect firewood in the second half of 2007.

In August a woman was raped who was already eight months pregnant.

Female genital mutilation continued to be systematically practised in northern Sudan."

Document(s): Open document

07.04.2008 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Darfur: Report on sexual violence and government response ("Five Years On; No Justice for Sexual Violence in Darfur") [ID 23336]

"Five years into the armed conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, women and girls living in displaced persons camps, towns, and rural areas remain extremely vulnerable to sexual violence.

Sexual violence continues to occur throughout the region, both in the context of continuing attacks on civilians, and during periods of relative calm.

Those responsible are usually men from the Sudanese security forces, militias, rebel groups, and former rebel groups, who target women and girls predominantly (but not exclusively) from Fur, Zaghawa, Masalit, Berti, Tunjur, and other non-Arab ethnicities.

Survivors of sexual violence in Darfur have no meaningful access to redress.

They fear the consequences of reporting their cases to the authorities and lack the resources needed to prosecute their attackers.

Police are physically present only in principal towns and government outposts, and they lack the basic tools and political will for responding to sexual violence crimes and conducting investigations.

Police frequently fail to register complaints or conduct proper investigations. While some police seem genuinely committed to service, many exhibit an antagonistic and dismissive attitude toward women and girls.

These difficulties are exacerbated by the reluctance and limited ability of police to investigate crimes committed by soldiers or militia, who often gain effective immunity under laws that protect them from civilian prosecution."

Document(s): Report
Press Release

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Government is allegedly responsible for politically motivated disappearances; abduction of Dinka women; abduction of women and children ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22818]

"There were continued allegations that the government was responsible for politically motivated disappearances, including those of persons suspected of supporting rebels, especially in Darfur.

An estimated 15,000 Dinka women and children were abducted, mainly from 1983 to 1999; thousands of these remained unaccounted for at year's end.

Observers believed that some of those abducted in the past were sold into de facto slavery as forced laborers, while others were drafted into the military.

In some cases the abductees escaped or eventually were released or ransomed; in other cases they were killed. [...]

Rebel forces in Darfur reportedly abducted persons, including government officials and humanitarian aid workers.

There also were reports of periodic intertribal abductions of women and children in eastern Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) kidnapped children in Uganda and brought them into Southern Sudan.

For example, on March 28, armed men alleged to belong to the LRA abducted six girls ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old. The girls remained missing at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: IDPs mistreated, raped and sexually abused by security forces ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22822]

"Security forces beat IDPs.

For example, on October 28, security forces entered Otash IDP camp in South Darfur and used sticks and rubber hoses to forcibly move IDPs who had fled there from a neighboring camp.

There was a clear and documented pattern of rape and sexual abuse directed at IDPs of all ages in Darfur."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: Rape and other forms of sexual violence remain widespread and systematic; the majority of victims are women and girls living in IDP camps ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23052]

"The UN's International Commission of Inquiry in Darfur found in 2005 that "rape or other forms of sexual violence committed by the janjaweed and government soldiers in Darfur was widespread and systematic."

This trend continued during the year.

The majority of victims were women and girls who lived in IDP camps and were raped when they left their camps to gather firewood, water, or food.

Women often described the perpetrators as "men in uniform", either government or rebel soldiers.

Rape victims were almost always beaten, threatened with death, and subjected to racial epithets during attacks.

In some cases attackers killed their victims.

In April four armed men dressed in camouflage uniforms raped two young women who were collecting firewood outside the Kassab IDP camp. The women were whipped and raped for several hours before being released.

According to UNMIS, on August 13, seven government soldiers raped an 18-year-old woman from an Arab tribe in El Fasher, North Darfur. The victim stated that she was walking home when approached by a group of soldiers, who beat her and then took her to a tent close to a SAF checkpoint, where they raped her for three hours.

According to a November report by the UN Human Rights Council, UN agencies documented 46 victims of sexual violence from June to October.

The UN estimated that the number of victims of sexual violence was actually significantly higher due to limited access to certain areas and underreporting of abuses.

Authorities, particularly the police, often obstructed access to justice for rape victims. [...]

[...] significant problems remained, including the harassment and intimidation by police of rape victims, lack of investigations into rape allegations, and the continued impunity of the police in Darfur.

During the year, there were no successful prosecutions for rape in Darfur."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Southern Sudan: Abuse of civilians by SPLA soldiers and members of other armed groups ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23055]

"UNMIS received credible reports that SPLA soldiers and members of other armed groups abused civilians.

According to the UN, in March an SPLA soldier allegedly raped a seven-year-old girl in Unity State. The SPLA soldier was in detention awaiting a court appearance at year's end.

On May 11, four men alleged to be SPLA soldiers halted a truck transporting 60 persons at Panyok, Abyei. The soldiers told the driver that he must have permission before traveling south and then reportedly beat all of the passengers with sticks."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: Women remain vulnerable to abuse and rape but often do not report their cases to police for fear of punishment or arrest for "illegal pregnancy" ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23231]

"Women in Darfur were vulnerable to abuse and rape.

Many victims did not report their cases either to family or authorities for fear they would be punished or arrested for "illegal pregnancy."

Despite a 2005 decree that waived the requirement for rape victims to file a police report before receiving medical treatment, some local authorities continued to require the report.

According to the UN and several international NGOs, many local police were unaware of the new policy.

Many women distrusted the police, and few victims actually filed reports.

The police arrested unmarried pregnant women who claimed to have been raped.

Unless a rape victim could provide proof of the crime, she could be charged with the capital offense of adultery.

The punishment for rape under the law varies from 100 lashes to 10 years' imprisonment to death. Spousal rape is not addressed.

In most rape cases convictions were not publicized; however, observers believed that sentences often were less than the legal maximum."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Abduction and trafficking of children and women reported; victims used for labour or sexual exploitation ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23262]

"Although the law prohibits slavery and forced labor, the law does not specifically address trafficking in persons, and there were reports that persons were trafficked from and within the country.

There were some reports that the abduction of women and children continued in the south due to tribal clashes.

There were no informed estimates on the extent of trafficking, including for camel jockeys, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, or other types of forced labor.

There were credible reports that tribal leaders with government connections transported children to the Persian Gulf to be used as jockeys in camel races or as laborers.

In April the governments of Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a bilateral agreement establishing claims facilities to compensate former Sudanese child camel jockeys for their injuries. UNICEF and the government's National Council for Child Welfare estimated that 219 children were repatriated from the UAE.

There were credible reports that intertribal abductions of women and children continued in the south.

Victims frequently became part of the new tribal family, with most women marrying into the new tribe; however, some victims were used for labor or sexual purposes.

The government acknowledged that abductions occurred and that abductees were sometimes forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.

CEAWC and its 22 joint tribal committees investigated abduction cases, but have not engaged in any transport or retrieval missions since early 2006 due to lack of funding."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Southern Sudan: Inter-tribal abduction of women and children still part of traditional warfare ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23264]

"There were occasional reports of intertribal abductions of women and children in the south, primarily in the eastern Upper Nile.

The abductions were part of traditional warfare in which the victor took women and children as bounty and frequently tried to absorb them into their own tribe.

There were traditional methods of negotiating and returning the women who were taken in these raids.

Many of these women were raped and "chose to marry" their abductors, rather than return home and be stigmatized."

Document(s): Open document

12.02.2008 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Darfur: Women and girls are often too afraid and ashamed to talk about their experiences with sexual violence and rape; rapes are hardly reported to authorities; government officials often deny the existence of rape and sexual attacks ("Too scared to tell - sexual violence in Darfur") [ID 22352]

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Refugees International

Darfur: Report on sexual violence (overview of the crisis, evolving nature of sexual violence, impact of rape, emerging issues like physical protection for women and health response) ("Ending Sexual Violence in Darfur: An Advocacy Agenda") [ID 21947]

Document(s): Open document

09.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Sexual violence in Darfur: Rape and sexual violence continue to be carried out with impunity ("Darfur: ‘When Will They Protect Us?’ Civilians trapped by violence in Sudan [AFR 54/043/2007]") [ID 22017]

"Rape and sexual slavery continue to be carried out with complete impunity.

On 26 December 2006, Deribat, an SLA stronghold, was attacked by armed men on horses and camels, accompanied by vehicles and aircraft. The people fled to the hills. About 50 women were abducted and taken to a dry river bed where they were surrounded by armed men and systematically raped.

Many children watched what happened to their mothers and some were raped themselves.

The women were held as sex slaves and also had to cook and serve food for their captors.

Women interviewed by UN human rights investigators were held for about a month; some escaped after an SLA attack.

The UN named commanders and members of the PDF in connection with the violence, and Fur men belonging to the SLA/Abu'l-Gasim faction were also said by witnesses to be involved.

Displaced women and girls in camps are vulnerable if they go outside to collect firewood or go to market, and also face rising violence within camps and within their families.

Hundreds of rapes were recorded by the UN and NGOs. Three of the women raped were relief workers."

Document(s): Open document

29.08.2007 - Source: UN Security Council

Rape and grave sexual violence in Southern Sudan (July 2006 - July 2007) ("Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Sudan [S/2007/520]") [ID 21580]

"There were six confirmed cases of rape reported [...], with responsibility attributed to members of armed forces or groups.

For example, in March 2007, a girl 7 years of age was allegedly raped by an SPLA soldier in Unity State. In this instance, the soldier is in detention pending a court appearance.

However, cases of alleged violations by SPLA perpetrators are rarely investigated or prosecuted."

Document(s): Open document

29.08.2007 - Source: UN Security Council

Rape and grave sexual violence in Darfur (July 2006 - July 2007) ("Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Sudan [S/2007/520]") [ID 21582]

"In Darfur, rape is widespread and used as weapon of war.

It is clear that the problem extends far beyond the few cases that have been confirmed.

Generally, perpetrators are armed men, often in uniform, targeting internally displaced persons or village women and girls on their way to and from livelihood activities.

In many incidents, victims identified perpetrators as elements of SAF, the central reserve police and the Janjaweed.

Unidentified armed men have allegedly committed rape in a number of other incidents.

Increasingly, the trend in Darfur seems to indicate that younger girls are being specifically targeted for rape.

There were also five boys among 62 confirmed reports of rape during the year.

26. On 15 April 2007, two girls, ages 10 and 12, from Northern Darfur, returning home from working on a farm, were approached by two armed soldiers dressed in green khaki uniforms. One soldier pushed the 12-year-old girl to the ground and raped her while the other continued beating the 10-year-old. Upon seeing a group of internally displaced persons approaching, the soldiers reportedly quickly escaped southward in the direction of the SAF military camp in nearby Umm Dereisa.

Two SLA (Minawi) soldiers raped a 12-year-old girl at Taradona in Northern Darfur on 15 October 2006. She was brutally attacked and beaten. The allegation was confirmed and attributed to SLA (Minawi).

In September 2006, it was confirmed that four SAF soldiers raped a girl 16 years of age in Eastern Jebel Marra. The attack was carried out in the presence of the girl's six-month-old son, who was born as a result of an earlier rape.

These rape cases reflect the daily atrocities to which girls are subjected, many of which occur when girls are fetching water, collecting firewood or performing other such domestic chores.

[...] In Darfur, investigation and prosecution of the crime of rape is very rare. Many cases go unreported owing to the stigma attached to the survivor. The justice system in Darfur is very weak.

During the reporting period, there were three cases recorded that involved two central reserve police officers and one SAF soldier who were prosecuted for the alleged rape of children as young as 13 years of age."

Document(s): Open document

29.08.2007 - Source: UN Security Council

Legislative reforms on children's rights (Northern Sudan): Draft child rights bill sets 18 as minimum age for recruitment, lays down criminal penalties for range of violations of human rights, considers redefinition of rape and other sexual offences ("Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Sudan [S/2007/520]") [ID 21618]

"The National Council for Child Welfare is leading an interministerial committee, of which UNICEF and UNMIS are members, on legal reform for children.

The Council has agreed to advocate for child protection legislation with relevant state institutions.

The committee has reviewed, amended and finalized a draft child rights bill which would replace the Child Act of 2004 that has been applicable in Northern Sudan.

Similar processes have been initiated in five states for state-level legal reform.

The draft Sudan armed forces act was expected to be debated in the National Assembly in October 2006, but had not yet reached the Assembly by the end of June 2007.

The bill sets 18 as the minimum age for recruitment and lays down criminal penalties for persons who recruit those under 18 years of age.

It also lays down criminal penalties for a range of violations of humanitarian and human rights law, including killings, abduction and enslavement, rape and attacks on schools and hospitals.

There is also ongoing consideration of the revision of the 1991 Criminal Act in order to clarify the definition of rape and other sexual offences. [...]

In Southern Sudan, the Child Bill of 2006, which prohibits the recruitment of children, passed its first reading in the Southern Sudan Assembly in June 2007."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Darfur: Numerous women raped by Janjawid militia in 2006; perpetrators go unpunished; some raped women arrested for adultery ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20075]

"

Rapes of women by Janjawid militias in Darfur remained systematic. Most rapes of women took place when they ventured outside IDP camps to collect firewood.

Other women were raped after Janjawid attacks on villages. The perpetrators benefited from almost complete impunity. Authorities routinely took no effective action to investigate women's complaints of rape. At worst, raped women were arrested for adultery.

• In May military police travelling by train to Nyala raped six women near Belail IDP Camp. Community leaders reported the rapes to the police, who immediately arrested three men. By the following day they had all been released.

• Janjawid accompanying the armed forces offensive in North Darfur in September captured five girls and women aged between 13 and 23 in the village of Tarmakera, south of Kulkul. They were reportedly raped and severely beaten before being released the following day."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: Widespread and systematic rape and other forms of sexual violence committed by Janjaweed and government soldiers ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19273]

"The UN's International Commission of Inquiry in Darfur found in 2005 that "rape or other forms of sexual violence committed by the janjaweed and government soldiers in Darfur was widespread and systematic." This trend continued during the year. The majority of victims were women and girls who lived in IDP camps and were raped when they left their camps to gather firewood, water, or food. Women often described the perpetrators as "men in uniform," either government or rebel soldiers. Rape victims were almost always beaten, threatened with death, and subjected to racial epithets during attacks. In some cases attackers killed their victims.

For example, according to UNMIS, armed militiamen raped 25 persons, including five children, in conjunction with a January attack on four villages in West Darfur; some of the victims were gang-raped.

On April 16, three Arab militiamen approached eight IDP women from Ardamata camp, two of whom were carrying their babies. According to UNMIS, one gunman threatened to kill the babies if they were male and demanded that the mothers allow him to inspect the babies to determine their gender. When the mothers refused, the gunmen beat them. One woman attempted to file a complaint with the Ardamata IDP camp police, but was rebuffed; another woman declined to file a report with the police, because "they don't do anything."

On July 24, 25 armed men, some in army uniforms, attacked a group of 17 Fur IDP women who were collecting firewood near Kalma camp outside Nyala, South Darfur. The gunmen beat the women with their rifles before raping them. The youngest woman was 19, and the oldest was 42.

According to the UN, between 120 and 300 IDP women from Kalma camp, near Nyala, South Darfur, were raped between mid-July and mid-August. [...]

On September 3, 60 armed men on camels and horses believed to be SLA (Minawi) surrounded four Masalit IDP women who were collecting grass near Gereida, South Darfur. The men beat the women, stole their donkeys, and forced them to undress. Each woman was then raped by several men, according to UNMIS; two of the women were in advanced stages of pregnancy.

On September 29, two militiamen in green uniforms abducted a Fur woman from her farm near Kabkabiya, wrapped her in plastic sheeting, and tied her to a camel. After an hour, they stopped, untied her, and took turns raping her. The woman declined to report the incident to the police."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: Access to justice for rape victims is hard to get ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19274]

"Authorities, particularly the police, often obstructed access to justice for rape victims (see section 5). For example, after Arab militia attacked Krenek village, in West Darfur, on January 20, local sheiks complained to police that the attackers had raped 36 women. Police responded by forcibly taking four of the women to a clinic for a medical examination and interrogated them for 10 hours; authorities charged the sheiks and the women with furnishing false information. A local court dropped the charges against the sheiks on May 27 but referred the cases against the women to the prosecutor in El Geneina. The prosecutor later told UNMIS he had no knowledge of the case.

On August 8, four civilians and one military officer raped a 13- year-old girl in South Darfur. Three of the civilian defendants confessed, while a fourth pleaded innocence; the military officer claimed that he only threatened to rape the girl, and helped the others. The prosecutor in Nyala asked the military for permission to prosecute the military officer in a civilian court, but the military had not responded to the request by year's end. According to UNMIS, authorities were considering dropping the charges against the military officer to facilitate the prosecution of the others.

No action was taken in the following 2005 rape cases: the February rape of two sisters by three armed pro-government militia men in West Darfur State; and the February 2005 cases of two female minors who were raped by progovernment militiamen.

During the year the government continued to take small steps to curb violence against women in Darfur. The government printed medical booklets for doctors detailing proper treatment of rape victims. The government also pledged to deploy 30 female police officers in South Darfur (see section 5). However, significant problems remained, including the harassment and intimidation by police of rape victims, lack of investigations into rape allegations, and the continued impunity of the police in Darfur.

During the year, there was one successful prosecution for rape in Darfur. On September 5, a court in Kabkabiya convicted a government soldier of raping an 11-year-old girl and sentenced him to five years in prison and 100 lashes."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Darfur: Women still vulnerable to abuse and rape; access to justice difficult for rape victims ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19837]

"Women in Darfur were vulnerable to abuse and rape (see section 1.g.). Many victims did not report their cases either to family or authorities for fear they would be punished or arrested for "illegal pregnancy." Local authorities often exacerbated the problem by requiring rape victims to file a police report before receiving medical treatment, despite an October 2005 decree that waived the requirement. According to the UN and several international NGOs, many local police were unaware of the new policy and still required a formal report. Many women distrusted the police, and few victims actually filed reports.

The police arrested unmarried pregnant women who claimed to have been raped. Unless a rape victim could provide proof of the crime, she could be charged with the capital offense of adultery.

The punishment for rape under the law varies from 100 lashes to 10 years' imprisonment to death. Spousal rape is not addressed. In most cases convictions were not publicized; however, observers believed that sentences often were less than the legal maximum (see section 5). "

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Abduction of women remains widespread ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19850]

"There were some reports that the abduction of women and children continued in the south due to tribal clashes. [...]

There were credible reports that intertribal abductions of women and children continued in the south. Victims frequently became part of the new tribal family, with most women marrying into the new tribe; however, some victims were used for labor or sexual purposes. As intertribal fighting in the south decreased, the number of abductions also appeared to decline. The government acknowledged that abductions occurred and that abductees were sometimes forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. CEAWC and its 22 joint tribal committees investigated abduction cases and sought to facilitate the safe return of victims. CEAWC did not pursue legal action against abductors. Credible sources noted that some of the CEAWC-facilitated reunions were forced repatriations of persons over age 18 against the wishes of the abductees."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

South: Reports of intertribal abductions of women and children as part of traditional warfare ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19856]

"There were occasional reports of intertribal abductions of women and children in the south, primarily in the eastern Upper Nile (see section 5, Trafficking). The abductions were part of traditional warfare in which the victor took women and children as a bounty and frequently tried to absorb them into their own tribe. There were traditional methods of negotiating and returning the women who were taken in these raids. Many of these women were raped and "chose" to "marry" their abductors, rather than return home and be stigmatized."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Darfur: Rape and sexual violence pervasive throughout region ("World Report 2007") [ID 19066]

"Rape and sexual violence continue to be pervasive throughout Darfur, with attacks
on women and girls taking place both in the context of hostilities between the
warring parties as well as when internally displaced women and girls travel outside
camp settings to collect firewood and other items. In just one example in August, aid
workers reported that more than 200 women and girls were sexually assaulted over a
five week period in Kalma, the largest displaced persons camp in south Darfur."

Document(s): Open document

20.04.2006 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Darfur: Conflict-related sexual violence against women ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 19032]

"Rape is used as a war strategy against the local population in Darfur. It is a tool to humiliate both women and their husbands and fathers. In March 2004 in South Darfur, there was a case where over 60 women were raped in front of their family members. Many women were brought to Khartoum by the security personnel to be used as slaves.
In Darfur, rape occurs on a daily basis. The police presence is scarce and victims of rape do not have access to female police officers or personnel that is trained to deal with rape cases. Victims of rape are obliged by law to go to the police station before they can consult a doctor. Doctors are not allowed to treat a victim without an announcement, otherwise they would be prosecuted. In addition to that, women do not talk openly about rape, as a social stigma is attached to it. The international community tries to encourage the women to claim their rights.
HS: The issue of rape in Darfur has been very well documented. Victims of crime including rape have to go to the police to get a so called “Form 8” before they can seek medical treatment. If they don’t, the doctors will be liable to punishment, as well as the victims. Victims of rape might be prosecuted as adulterers. Possible sentences for adultery are extremely harsh under sharia law. Therefore this is a very difficult field for human rights advocates, NGOs and the UN to work in. It took two years to get the Form 8 requirement formally abolished, but it is not clear, when it will be abolished in practice. The social stigma is also a big problem for the victims of GBV, as is the impunity. We are not aware that any person accused of rape has yet been properly convicted in court."

Document(s): Open document

20.04.2006 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Rates of slavery, especially of abductions of women and children, very high ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 19044]

"The rates of slavery, especially of abductions of women and children, both in the North and the South of Sudan, are high – especially during war time. About 28 000 women have been abducted during the last 15 years in the North of the country. The question is how these women and children can return to their families. In one case, an abducted boy was so badly tortured that he could not walk anymore and was dependent on a wheel chair."

Document(s): Open document

10.02.2006 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Internally displaced women continue to face high risk of sexual assault ("UNHCR's position on Sudanese asylum-seekers from Darfur") [#44832],  [ID 18374]

"Women in some camps and those leaving camps to collect firewood continue to face
a high risk of sexual assault."

Document(s): Open document