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Human Rights Watch demands for protection of civilians in Darfur

Satellite image of the village of Um Gunya recorded after the government offensive in late February 2014, shows extensive areas of housing destruction and evidence of burnt vegetation consistent with an arson attack. Satellite image of the village of Um Gunya recorded after the government offensive in late February 2014, shows extensive areas of housing destruction and evidence of burnt vegetation consistent with an arson attack. © Sensor Kompsat 03 © 2015 KARI Distribution SI Imaging Services, Republic of Korea

Human Rights Watch demands for protection of civilians in Darfur with its report “Men With No Mercy.”


Sudanese government-backed Rapid Support Forces violate international human rights and humanitarian law, amounting to war crimes.
Between February 2014 and June 2015, the Sudanese government-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed war crimes against Darfur civilians during two military campaigns. During the campaigns, civilians were horrifically abused through forced displacement, torture, unlawful killings and mass rape. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded immediate aid and protection for civilians.

During the second campaign, which went on from January to June 2015, the RSF took control of Golo, a town in central Jebel Marra. Reports document that buildings were burned and looted, and surviving civilians have reported witnessing killings, rape and widespread beatings and lootings. A young woman from Golo recounted that her father had been killed for trying to protect her and her sisters. After they killed him, she and two sisters were raped and their home looted. Reports from Golo and neighbouring towns conclude that many women were gang raped, often in front of community members who were forced to watch. Those who opposed were killed.

Survivors of RSF attacks fled to several locations, including internally displaced persons camps and the hills of Jebel Marra and East Jebel Marra. Those fleeing to the hills have no access to humanitarian assistance and risk starvation, disease and further abuse from the RSF.

The report asks for the UN Security Council, the AU Peace and Security Council, and UNAMID to protect civilians in Darfur from further abuse. This includes sanctioning those responsible for civilian attacks, expanding and ensuring access to humanitarian assistance, and pushing the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute those responsible for crimes in Darfur.

 

To read the full report, visit:

http://www.hrw.org/report/2015/09/09/men-no-mercy/rapid-support-forces-attacks-against-civilians-darfur-sudan#page

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