NEWS
Rape in Darfur, Cape Times, 31 October 2007
By Yazeed Kamaldien
Sexual violence against Darfur ’s women continues in
the camps where they are meant to be protected from those involved in
the conflict and not enough is being done to assist them, says Sudanese
aid worker Lemia Elhag.
Elhag spent a year working with the women of Darfur’s camps around
Geneina, the capital of West Darfur . During this period she compiled
research for her thesis interrogating the effect of sexual and
gender-based violence against women in Darfur . Elhag completed her
thesis last year as part of a master's degree course on peace and
development studies at Khartoum 's Juba University . She believes that
minimal participation of the Sudanese government in halting rape,
cultural entrenchment and an unforgiving society keep mouths shut about
rape and sexual violence against women in Darfur . She also reiterates
that violence against women “happens across communities” in Darfur .
“It’s not about being Arab or African. The people of Darfur are all
black. They have the same skin colour,” she says especially in response
to international media and aid agency messages that Darfur is about
Arabs raping black Africans.
During the conflict, says Elhag, rape was used by government army and
opposition forces as a "war tool" or tactic and it continues in Darfur
's camps.
"It’s a weapon, like mines and Kalashnikovs. It’s physical and
psychological and is very effective as humiliation. Many of the
displaced Darfuris saw their mothers, wives and sisters or even men
raped. Or they saw their brothers killed in front of their eyes, just to
humiliate them. To show that the enemy is best," says Elhag.
"Some women were lashed. Others were cut on their arms and legs and
face. I saw a woman whose face was cut. And some women were tied so
tight with ropes you can still see the scars on their bodies. Their
husbands are also angered because they will never know who did this to
their wives. Those who saw what happened couldn't react or they would
all have lost their lives." Elhag's research and insight reveals a rural
Darfur that tramples womanhood in favour of male domination, setting a
backdrop for ongoing violence against women in the region's IDP camps.
"In Darfur , women are subordinate, even though they're the
breadwinners. Men sit at home like kings all day while women work on
farms. They collect wild fruits, firewood and water. They also give
their husbands any money that they have," says Elhag.
"Some men have four wives who do their best to make him feel content.
Although the husband does nothing, he is the decision-maker. In rural
Darfur you are not a man if you don't have more than two wives. The men
drink alcohol all night. It's like food to them. Then they sleep all
day. It's part of their culture."
Conflict between the Sudanese government and
opposition forces has destabilised Darfur by destroying communities.
Women suffer a double blow, says Elhag, adding that conservative social
perceptions mean that women who have been raped fear exposure and
isolation in a society where early marriage is common.
"Women are afraid to speak about rape because the rapist could be in the
camp and he could kill her if she speaks. For a married woman, to say
that she was raped, will mean that her husband will abandon her.
Virginity is also a big issue in Sudan . Sex outside marriage is not
allowed. It brings shame to your family," says Elhag.
"Nobody will marry you if you are an unmarried woman and you were raped.
That’s why women keep these things secret. That’s why they don’t seek
psychological support. Let us assume that a 17-year-old girl is raped.
No man in the camp will marry her.
“She'll most likely get married to an old man who has many other wives.
She could even become a prostitute as she gets to a point where she
doesn't care. This leads to more exploitation as she needs money."
Unmarried women who fall pregnant after rape also face discrimination.
These pregnancies could be prevented though if the Sudanese government
made available the morning-after pill in clinics or health facilities, a
common and immediate medical treatment after rape, and acknowledged the
reality of sexual violence, says Elhag.
"If you were raped and went to a government health facility, you need to
have Police Form 8 so that you can get healthcare. Police Form 8 is used
for any persons involved in accidents and who need medical care. Without
this form a doctor will refuse to touch you. But nobody wants to admit
rape cases," says Elhag.
"When you go to the police they won't acknowledge your rape case either,
so how do you get Police Form 8? There has been a lot of advocacy work
to ensure treatment for women who have been raped. Women need to be able
to go to clinics without having to get this form or facing
discrimination. Women need treatment without having to get Form 8, even
if it means that not getting this form means they lose the opportunity
to bring their perpetrators to justice. It is at least better to get
treatment than to depend on Form 8.”
"The morning-after pill is essential for rape survivors but you won't
find it at government hospitals. It's maybe available at clinics run by
international aid agencies but the government doesn't trust these
agencies so women can still go there for rape treatment. They prefer to
go to international aid agencies where they can get medical and
psychological support,” says Elhag. Rape perpetrators are also not
brought to justice and this legitimises their actions, she adds.
"Rape is a public crime and the government must investigate the
perpetrators but they don’t. So the situation continues. If it's
reinforced that rape is a crime then violence against women will not
happen. Communities don't deal with rape. The only thing they do is
cover it up and heal the survivor's wounds."
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