Day: March 15, 2022

Sudanese security forces on Monday raped a girl they arrested after her participation in anti-coup protests in Khartoum in what has become a weapon to dissuade women from taking to the streets.

Government forces were massively deployed in Khartoum streets on Monday to disperse protests against the military rule in the country.

The security forces stationed at the Massalamiya bridge in central Khartoum fired tear gas inside a bus forcing the passengers to flee. They, however, arrested and raped a university student while her female colleague succeeded to escape.

The residents found the girl after the departure of the uniformed personnel and took her to the hospital after informing her family.

The head of Sudan’s Combating Violence against Women Unit (CVAW), Selima Khalifa Ishaq confirmed that a girl was subjected to sexual violence during her participation in the protests, as she said in statements to Altaghyeer news outlet after the assault on Monday.

Ishaq added that the raped student was less than twenty years old.

Eyewitnesses who took the girl to the hospital said that she was subjected to gang rape by eight soldiers who took her belongings including her mobile.

This is not the first time that government forces commit sexual attacks against women after the coup.

In December 2021, the security forces raped eight women after their arrest for participation in the anti-coup demonstration.

At the time, the military-led head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed to investigate the assault.

The Resistance Committees called for demonstrations on Tuesday to protest the rape.

The Sudanese authorities did not react to the crime.

Sudan is witnessing civil unrest and political instability after a coup d’état by Gen al-Burhan that interrupted a transitional process.

On Monday, the Sudanese youth took to the street to express their rejection of the military rule.

The government forces used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the protesters in the three cities of the capital Khartoum.

Violent confrontations took place between the demonstrators and the police in the streets near the presidential palace.

In a statement after the protests, the Unified Office of Doctors said there are 35 cases of wounds caused by cartridge guns in the head, neck, chest and abdomen.

The coalition of medical groups once again warned against the use of this fatal weapon stressing that it killed three protesters and wounded over 150 others since the beginning of the anti-coup protests four months ago.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Abdel Wahid al-Nur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) refused to meet with the Governor of Darfur region Minni Minnawi during his visit to the South Sudanese capital Juba.

In a statement issued on Monday, the SLM-AW said al-Nur did not reject to meet Minnawi for his person “but because of his part of the October 25 coup”.

Al-Nur is not a signatory of the Juba peace agreement but the South Sudanese government hosts him in Juba with the hope that he would join the Juba mediated process for peace in Sudan.

However, the holdout group condemned the coup of General al-Burhan and called on its supporters to participate in the anti-coup protest movement.

The group, which is committed to a cessation of hostilities unilateral declaration, strived during the past two years to rebuild its forces and to equip them in the rebel-held areas of Jebel Marra.

UN experts say the movement earns money from gold mining in the mountainous area in Central Darfur State and developed business activities in South Sudan.

The SLM-AW says they want to hold a comprehensive and inclusive conference in Khartoum to discuss the problem of Sudan and not only the Darfur region.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Chad’s transitional military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby ordered his forces to prevent the spread of West Darfur tribal clashes into his country.

On March 9, Deby visited Abéché the capital of Ouaddai region, close to the West Darfur state within a national tour to inspect the security situation as his government has started peace talks with the armed groups in Doha, Qatar.

In a meeting with local military leaders attended by the defence minister, Ouaddai governor and the commander of the joint Chadian-Sudanese joint border force, the head of the transitional stressed that the security forces have to protect the country and its borders.

Alluding to Sudan, he said: “There are many political and security problems in the neighbouring (…), and we must take the necessary measures and strive to protect the borders and enhance security”.

“Tribal problems there should not be exported to Chad,” he stressed.

The visit to Abéché coincided with the renewed clashes over a land dispute on March 5 in the Jebel Moon area of West Darfur State between the Arab and Masalit tribes.

When the clashes started between the two groups in November 2021, thousands of Masalit fled to Abéché.

Chad transitional authorities and some 44 political and armed opposition groups are meeting in Doha for negotiations in a process aiming to reach a political platform leading to national reconciliation and elections in the country.

Source: Sudan Tribune