Girl raped in North Darfur camp

On Wednesday the rape of a 12 year old girl was reported in the Shaddad camp for displaced persons in the Shangil Tobaya region of North Darfur. A witness said that the girl was snatched at the camp and taken to the headquarters of the government affiliated Popular Defense Force (PDF), where she endured the attack for 10 hours. Knowing the attacker, relatives of the girl and other residents summoned the courage and reprimanded him, hoping to hand him in to the United Nations Mission in Darfur forces (UNAMID) based at the camp. However, the alleged rapist named as Abu Bakr Hamid, was released by the relatives when armed militants threatened them at gun point. The witness said the incident was reported to UNAMID, who said they would arrest the attacker, but have not yet taken any action. He continued saying that incidents of rape occured often, but UNAMID were reluctant to act on protecting their wives and daughters at the camp from the PDF. A source also told Radio Dabanga that yesterday the PDF cracked down on women making and selling alcohol in Shaddad and Navaisha displaced camps. They arrested 60 women, and fined them 100 Sudanese Pounds each. The PDF were also reported as having set up a checkpoint on the main road leading from the camp to the forest where residents collect firewood. They are imposing a fee of 10 Sudanese Pounds for those crossing the checkpoint, and confiscating the firewood of those that refuse to pay. The source said that they also help themselves to goods in the market for free, and threaten those that try to charge them.