‘Russia to keep Tabit mass rape off Security Council agenda’: Sudan
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced that Russia will attempt to keep the issue of the alleged mass rape by Sudanese army forces in North Darfur two months ago, off the agenda of the UN Security Council. Foreign Minister Ali Karti told reporters in Khartoum on Tuesday that his Russian colleague, Sergei Lafrov, informed him that the Permanent Mission of Moscow to the Security Council has been instructed to “give a special attention to Sudanese issues, and prevent the handling of the mass rape in Tabit in the Security Council”. Yet, Adel Hussein Sharafi, former Ambassador of Sudan to Uganda, said that “everyone on every level knows that the mass rape took place in Tabit”. “There is ample proof,” he commented to Radio Dabanga. He explained the “violent denial by Sudanese diplomats” by pointing to the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) “that controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”. Lavrow visited Sudan more than a week ago to attend the Second Arab Cooperation Forum in Khartoum. After a meeting with President Al Bashir and Karti on 4 December, he stated during the press conference that Sudan and Russia agreed to support each other politically, militarily, and economically. On 31 October, more than 200 women and girls of the village of Tabit were reportedly raped by Sudanese soldiers. They had been sent by the commander of Tabit military garrison to search for a soldier missing in the area. The army forces surrounded the village, beat up the men, and raped the women and girls. The Sudanese government has repeatedly attempted to play down the incident, saying that “foreign agents” are behind the accusations.File photo: Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Karti, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lafrov, at a press conference in Khartoum on 4 December (Sudan Vision daily)Related:Unamid’s exit from Darfur supported by Russia, opposed by displaced, rebels (4 December 2014) Sudan rejects Security Council request to investigate alleged mass rape Tabit (20 November 2014)Commander admits to mass rape by soldiers in North Darfur (3 November 2014)
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced that Russia will attempt to keep the issue of the alleged mass rape by Sudanese army forces in North Darfur two months ago, off the agenda of the UN Security Council.
Foreign Minister Ali Karti told reporters in Khartoum on Tuesday that his Russian colleague, Sergei Lafrov, informed him that the Permanent Mission of Moscow to the Security Council has been instructed to “give a special attention to Sudanese issues, and prevent the handling of the mass rape in Tabit in the Security Council”.
Yet, Adel Hussein Sharafi, former Ambassador of Sudan to Uganda, said that “everyone on every level knows that the mass rape took place in Tabit”. “There is ample proof,” he commented to Radio Dabanga.
He explained the “violent denial by Sudanese diplomats” by pointing to the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) “that controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.
Lavrow visited Sudan more than a week ago to attend the Second Arab Cooperation Forum in Khartoum. After a meeting with President Al Bashir and Karti on 4 December, he stated during the press conference that Sudan and Russia agreed to support each other politically, militarily, and economically.
On 31 October, more than 200 women and girls of the village of Tabit were reportedly raped by Sudanese soldiers. They had been sent by the commander of Tabit military garrison to search for a soldier missing in the area. The army forces surrounded the village, beat up the men, and raped the women and girls. The Sudanese government has repeatedly attempted to play down the incident, saying that “foreign agents” are behind the accusations.
File photo: Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Karti, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lafrov, at a press conference in Khartoum on 4 December (Sudan Vision daily)
Related:
Unamid’s exit from Darfur supported by Russia, opposed by displaced, rebels (4 December 2014)
Sudan rejects Security Council request to investigate alleged mass rape Tabit (20 November 2014)
Commander admits to mass rape by soldiers in North Darfur (3 November 2014)
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