Rape and beating in South Darfur

Three women were raped by an armed group on Saturday near the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp in Mershing locality, South Darfur, a witness told Radio Dabanga. The women left Hashaba camp to search for firewood when the armed men opened heavy gunfire in the air to scare them. They detained the women, beating them and taking turns to rape them. In another incident in Mershing locality six gunmen stopped four IDPs that had gone to find firewood. The men beat the IDPs and seriously injured one. Mohammed Adam that was taken to hospital for treatment, the witness told Radio Dabanga. The gunmen also stole four of the IDPs donkey carts that were used for transporting goods. One witness said the gunman that roamed the area were making life difficult for IDPs in the camps by making them feel trapped and unable to gather firewood or goods from nearby markets to trade. Prices were also increasing continued the trader, and with aid agencies expelled by the government, he appealed to the local government of South Darfur and the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID to protect refugees in the area.