Khaberni - The Sudanese Doctors' Network stated that its teams in the El Afaf camp, east of El Dabba City in northern Sudan, documented 19 cases of rape experienced by displaced women from El Fasher to the city of El Dabba by members of the Rapid Support Forces.
The network added in a statement today, Sunday, that "two of the victims are pregnant and are currently receiving special health care under the supervision of local medical teams."
The network expressed its strong condemnation of "the mass rape conducted by members of the Rapid Support on women fleeing the hell of El Fasher," and considered it "a direct targeting of women and a clear violation of all international laws criminalizing the use of women's bodies as a weapon to subdue them."
The network stated that "the continuation of such crimes reflects a dangerous development in the violations against the most vulnerable groups," and warned that "the international community's silence on these atrocious practices encourages their repetition."
It called on the international community, the United Nations, and specialized human rights mechanisms to provide effective protection for women and children on displacement and transit routes, and to send independent investigative teams to ascertain the facts, and ensure safe access for humanitarian aid and medical teams.
The medical network also called for serious pressure on the leaders of the "Rapid Support" to stop these assaults immediately, and to respect international humanitarian law.
No immediate comment was issued by the "Rapid Support Forces" on what was reported by the independent medical network, but the commander of the "Rapid Support Forces," Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), acknowledged on October 29 that what he described as mere "violations" by his forces in El Fasher, claiming the formation of investigative committees.
The Sudanese Doctors' Network reported on November 16 that it had documented 32 cases of rape of girls in El Fasher who had moved to the Towilla camp for displaced persons in North Darfur since the "Rapid Support Forces" swept through the region on October 26.
Both local and international organizations reported that the Rapid Support Forces committed massacres against civilians during their sweep of the area amid warnings of entrenching a geographical division of Sudan.
According to Anadolu Agency, these forces occupy all the centers of the five states of Darfur to the west among a total of 18 states in the country, while the army controls most of the areas of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the capital, Khartoum.
Darfur region constitutes about a fifth of the total area of Sudan, which is more than 1.8 million square kilometers, yet the majority of the 50 million Sudanese live in areas controlled by the army.
