Nineteen (19) female refugees from Darfur raped in Eastern Chad

Unknown armed men raped nineteen female refugees from Bergen camp for Darfur refugees in eastern Chad during their return from gathering wood. A complaint was filed with the Chadian police who investigated into the matter without being able to capture the culprits while the raped women were taken to receive treatment. Witnesses stated that the rape incidents took place separately between the 27th of May and the 3rd of June and added that the first incident witnessed the rape of twelve women at once at a distance of twenty-five kilometers from the camp. The other six women were raped during a separate incident on the third of June fifteen kilometers from the camp. In addition to rape, the women were subjected to severe beating and their bodies were distorted by knives. Seven of the rapes women are still in the hospital receiving treatment. The sheikhs of the camp demanded the Chadian authorities to provide security to them and called on organizations to provide them with wood for fuel.