Sudan alleges history of rape, violations by Unamid troops

The Sudanese government claims to have “monitored incidents of Unamid soldiers who raped women in Darfur”, prompting its insistence on Unamid’s departure. According to the government press agency SUNA, the Undersecretary of the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Abdalla El Azrag, told a press conference for “Editors-in-Chief of newspapers and leaders of the mass media” in Khartoum on Tuesday that Sudan’s decision on the departure of Unamid is “a deliberate one and came after deliberations which continued for years between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations”. El Azrag stressed that “the decision was not in response to claims about mass rape at Tabit village in North Darfur State”. He said that “Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti discussed the strategy of the Unamid departure with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, three years ago and on other occasions, the last of them during the current session of the UN. The Undersecretary highlighted the memo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has called on Unamid to work out a departure strategy. He also drew attention by the address but Sudan’s envoy to the UN during the discussion about renewing the mandate of Unamid mission, indicating that “the Sudanese envoy has spoken frankly about a strategy for departure and the official messages to the ministry on rape claims in Tabit village”. El Azrag explained that the call for Unamid’s departure came “following the remarkable improvement in the security situation in Darfur”, also citing the “the sluggishness and lack of enthusiasm of Unamid has raised suspicion and an atmosphere of tension”. He said that “the concerned authorities have monitored serious violations that were perpetrated by Unamid throughout the past years, to the extent that Unamid has become a resort for criminals who violated state laws due to the diplomatic immunity enjoyed by Unamid,” adding that the authorities “have monitored incidents of Unamid soldiers who raped women in Darfur and were not subject to any accountability and were not expelled from Sudan”. The Undersecretary referred to “immoral acts and reports being followed through diplomatic channels, far away from the media, on sexual exploitation and harassment other horrible stories that happen at Unamid camps”. He concluded by saying that “the improvement in the security situation in Darfur and the current negotiations with the rebel movements in Addis Ababa are disturbing to some circles that are opposed to stability in Darfur and have interest on the continuity of the dispute there”. Source: SUNA File photo: Unamid peacekeepers Related:Sudan shuts-down Unamid’s human rights office in Khartoum (25 November 2014) Sudan: ‘Exit Unamid not owing to mass rape investigation’ (21 November 2014)Sudan again blocks Unamid’s mass rape investigation (17 November 2014)Sudan Foreign Ministry summons Unamid head over Darfur rape allegations (14 November 2014)