بدلاً من لعن نظام الإنقاذ .. بسطر واحد يمكنك المساهمة في ملاحقته في أكبر محفل دولي

‘Deeply troubled’ by Darfur rape allegations, Ban urges ‘unfettered’ access to town



17 November 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is deeply troubled about persistent allegations of mass rape in Tabit, North Darfur, and urged Government officials to grant unfettered access to the town so that investigators can verify these reports.

In a statement released by his spokesperson in New York, the UN Chief expressed concern that even after intense consultations with the Government in Sudan and with local authorities in Darfur, authorities investigating the reports were yesterday denied access to the town of Tabit.

Earlier this month, allegations of the mass rape of 200 women and girls in a town in North Darfur raised concerns in the war-torn Sudanese region as the African Union-United Nations hybrid mission pressed ahead with its efforts “to shed light” on what happened.

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) first visited Tabit on 9 November. However, the heavy presence of military and police in Tabit made a conclusive investigation difficult.

“Only a full investigation by UNAMID will help shed light over these serious allegations,” the UN Chief stressed today, as he urged the Government of Sudan to grant UNAMID unfettered access, without further delay, to Tabit and its population so that these reports can be verified.

Tensions have been simmering across Darfur over the past few months. In October, an attack on UNAMID peacekeepers by armed militants claimed the lives of three peacekeepers.

The UN estimates that some 385,000 people have been displaced by the conflict between the Government of Sudan and armed movements in Darfur since the start of 2014. The world body has repeatedly called on all sides to join negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace for the people of Darfur, which has witnessed fighting since 2003.

UNAMID, formally established in 2007, has been mandated to protect civilians, support humanitarian assistance, monitor and verify implementation of agreements, contribute to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law, and assist in the political reconciliation following the 2003 civil war between the Government of Sudan and militias and other armed rebel groups.

UPDATE 1-Sudan denies U.N. access to Darfur village to check rape accusations
6:20pm EST
(Adds U.N. statement, background)
KHARTOUM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Sudan has refused to let U.N. and African Union peacekeepers visit a village in the western Darfur region to investigate allegations of mass rape for the second time this month, saying it was skeptical about the motives for the visit.
The United Nations said Sudanese troops initially denied members of the joint peacekeeping mission, known as UNAMID, access to Tabit in north Darfur earlier this month.
The force was later allowed to visit the area and said in a statement on Nov. 10 that it had found no evidence to substantiate media reports that Sudanese soldiers had raped about 200 women and girls there.
But after that visit, Australian U.N. Ambassador Gary Quinlan, president of the Security Council this month, said the heavy presence of Sudan's military during UNAMID's interviews of alleged rape victims in Tabit had raised serious concerns.
UNAMID said it intended to conduct further investigations and patrols in the area.
But Sudan's foreign ministry issued a statement late on Sunday saying it had denied UNAMID entry to the area because the mission had sought to bypass Khartoum and had gone directly to Darfuri authorities for a permit on Saturday.
"Sudan is skeptical about the motives behind the mission's insistence on a second visit to the Tabit area," the foreign ministry said.
The United Nations issued a statement on Monday saying that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was concerned about the fact that UNAMID was again denied access to Tabit.
"Only a full investigation by UNAMID will help shed light over these serious allegations," it said. "The Secretary-General therefore urges the Government of Sudan to grant UNAMID unfettered access, without further delay, to Tabit and its population so that these (rape) reports can be verified."
Law and order have collapsed in much of Darfur, where mainly non-Arab rebels took up arms in 2003 against the Arab-led government in Khartoum, accusing it of discriminating against them. UNAMID has been deployed in the region since 2007.
Last month, an internal U.N. review found that UNAMID had failed to provide U.N. headquarters in New York with full reports on attacks against civilians and peacekeepers. The review had been ordered in response to media reports alleging that UNAMID intentionally covered up details of deadly attacks. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad, Editing by Lin Noueihed, Andrew Heavens and Ken Wills)