Rape victim harrassed in South Kordofan

A young woman, who recently fled to Rashad after she was gang-raped by elements of the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces (PDF), has to report to the office of the security apparatus three times a day. 

On 6 April 2013, four PDF troops on motorbikes, intercepted the woman (26) when she was returning home with her mother after having collected firewood in an area, 2km from El Fayd in Rashad locality. 

The militiamen beat the mother, and raped her daughter alternately at gunpoint, the Sudanese Human Rights and Development Organisation (Hudo) related in a press statement on Thursday. Three of the assailants were masked, but the victim recognised the fourth, PDF commander Bashir Hussein El Mahdi, who also owned a shop at the market of El Fayd.

They threatened to kill the victims if they would file a complaint, “or even talk about the incident”. Some days later, the family was told that they were not allowed to leave the village.

On 10 February this year, the rape victim managed to flee to Rashad town, 25km from El Fayd, on foot, Hudo reported. Three days later, security authorities discovered her hiding place in Rashad. She was told not to leave the town, and has now to report to their office three times a day. According to the human rights organisation, her family is under serious threat from PDF members in El Fayd.