Women gang-raped, wood gatherers threatened in South Darfur

Two women of Erli camp for the displaced in South Darfur were repeatedly raped by militiamen for a full day on Saturday. Other camp residents were seriously injured in another incident on the same day. One of the sheikhs of Erli camp, Kass locality, told Radio Dabanga that on Saturday at about 10am  government-backed militiamen on camels and horses attacked four women, who were collecting straw and firewood east of the camp. Two of the women managed to escape. The militiamen took the two remaining women at gunpoint to one of the valleys where they alternately raped them. They released the victims on Sunday. The sheikh added that the rape has been reported to the police and Unamid. In the second incident on Saturday militiamen attacked ten camp residents who were collecting straw and firewood south of the camp. They beat them and whipped, and robbed them of their money and property, as well as the straw and firewood they had already collected. The attackers threatened the displaced that they would kill them if they would come to the area again to gather straw and firewood. File photo: Men return from collecting firewood (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: Militiamen gang-rape three women in North Darfur (18 December 2013)Straw collectors attacked by militiamen in West Darfur (16 December 2013)‘Sexual violence crisis in Sudan’: rape victims speak out (8 December 2013)