JURIST - Paper Chase: UN rights agency says widespread rape still plagues Darfur

[JURIST] A new report [PDF text] prepared at the instance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] and released Friday criticizes the Sudanese government for its inaction in allowing sexual violence in the turbulent Darfur region [JURIST news archive] to continue and for the lack of prosecutions against government supported forces accused in the attacks. International charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) [NGO website] said in June that 500 women had been raped over four months and the report says women in refugee camps risk being raped for simply venturing out in search of food. The report also criticized the Sudanese government for arresting people who publicize incidents of rape and for taking no action against militiamen and soldiers accused of rape. Khartoum set up a special criminal court [JURIST report] in June to try those accused of war crimes in the Darfur region but the report said it was too early to judge its impact. Reuters has more.

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