Girls raped, displaced kidnapped in Mershing, South Darfur

Militia members raped two displaced girls at a farm in Mershing locality, South Darfur, on Monday. A day later, militiamen kept several displaced people hostage, demanding money for their release. Five people were robbed by militiamen in Mershing on Wednesday. One of the Sheikhs of Hashaba camp told Radio Dabanga that the girls, who live in Salwa camp, are 13 and 17 years old. “Pro-government militiamen raped them inside the farm, and also beat them after the rape.” Displaced people abducted Militiamen kept thirteen displaced people of Hashaba and Salwa camps prisoners on Tuesday, demanding SDG 1,000 ($174) for each person as ransom. The Hashaba camp Sheikh revealed to Radio Dabanga that the displaced people were driving carts to fetch firewood in Gumba area, near Mershing, when the militiamen detained them. “After negotiating with members of the militia, they agreed to release nine of the displaced, so they could go to the camp and bring back the ransoms for the remaining four.” He explained that the nine displaced people arrived in Mershing on Wednesday to report the incident to the authorities, which did not move to the scene. The four displaced people were still kept as hostages until the militiamen receive the money on Thursday. On Wednesday, militiamen robbed five displaced people who were cultivating their land in Mershing. “The pro-government militia members robbed the four women and one man, named Abdallah Idris, from their possessions,” the Sheikh in Hashaba camp said. He added that the victims reported the incident, but authorities did not move. File photo: Militia member in Darfur, Sudan. Related: Women, girls gang-raped, schoolgirl suicide in South Darfur (25 August 2014)