UK condemns Sudan: ‘Sexual violence in Darfur almost doubled’

The human rights situation in Sudan deteriorated in 2013, according to the United Kingdom, owing to tribal conflict and lawlessness in Darfur. Reports of sexual gender-based violence in Darfur were almost doubling in the last quarter.For 2014, the UK government said it will focus on conflict resolution and humanitarian access supporting the national dialogue and a better environment for free and fair elections in the future. The UK is in particular critical of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Sudan, stating that “arbitrary arrest is common and there are widespread reports that security forces routinely carry out torture, beatings, rape, and other cruel and inhuman treatment or punishments.” It mentions that armed groups continue to act with impunity in Darfur. The majority of the Justice and Reconciliation chapter of the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) remains unimplemented, the UK found. “And there is no evidence of any serious attempts by the government of Sudan to punish those who have committed serious crimes in the region”.Prosecution based on faith also was stepped up: “We believe that over 150 non-Sudanese Christians have left Sudan following harassment. We have raised our concerns for the treatment of Christians jointly with other international partners”, the Foreign Office comments. File photo: Foreign Secretary William Hague, who published the Human Rights report Sudan