Darfur girl of 14 gang-raped on way home from school

A 14-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by a group of gunmen on Saturday, who accosted her on her way home from school in the area of Koron in Golo locality in Darfur’s Jebel Marra. Schools strikes protesting attacks on teachers and students continue in southern Khartoum.

A relative of the victim told Radio Dabanga that the as yet unidentified men raped her repeatedly at gunpoint. Doctor Maamoun Kheir confirmed the rape in a medical report.

He said they have informed the authorities of the crime; however no suspects have yet been pursued or identified.

Last week, a 13-year-old girl was raped, allegedly by two soldiers, near Sortony camp for displaced people in Kabkabiya locality in North Darfur.

A camp leader told Radio Dabanga that the victim was taken to the Unamid clinic in the camp. From there she was transferred to the Kabkabiya Royal Hospital. Medical examination confirmed that the rape occurred. The incident was reported to the Kabkabiya police.

Earlier the same week, two girls aged 13 and 14 were raped by five herders wearing military uniforms in Central Darfur, according to the police report. The rape took place in an open area north of Nierteti, near Shalaya camp for the displaced.

According to relatives of the victims, the herders first shot in the air and then pursied the girls, who were collecting firewood together with six other girls. They eventually managed to catch up with two of them and repeatedly raped them.

Reports that reached Radio Dabanga say that at least 24 women and girls were raped in Darfur since the beginning of this year.

The UN secretary-general reported in April last year that sexual violence remains prevalent in the Darfur region, while the rate of displacement in 2017 was lower than in previous years.

School strike

A strike by 22 schools in southern Khartoum entered its fourth day yesterday in protest against attacks targeting teachers and students.

The strike include all schools in El Azhari, El Salama, Mayo, and all areas of the southern belt of Khartoum state.

On Monday, the teachers of schools organised a protest rally and handed a protest memorandum to the Commissioner of Jebel Awlia locality and the locality’s education administration, demanding they resolve the chaos and maintaining security.

Teachers announced that the strike would not be lifted unless security is achieved in southern Khartoum, especially schools, to save the lives of teachers and students.

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