Sirba — Bir Dagig IDP camp in Sirba Locality, West Darfur registered twelve cases of rape in the last week. A camp representative told Radio Dabanga that four gunmen in military uniforms attacked three displaced persons on Sunday August 26. The displaced were working in a farm east of the camp in the Marini area when they were attacked and raped.

The camp representative said there was an eight grade schoolgirl among the victims. He added that another group of five armed men attacked three displaced persons in Rinj area when they were chopping wood. Among the victims were two girls of 15 and 16 years old.

On Tuesday August 28, militants on camels and horses attacked four displaced persons working on a farm in Sirtenmij area, east of the camp. They attacked and raped the four women, among them a breastfeeding mother with a three months old baby and a thirteen year old girl.

The witness attributed the increasing attacks on women and girls to the presence of herders (from July to November) migrating from south to north. In addition, he mentioned the lack of prosecution by government authorities and the absence of a UNAMID base in Sirba Locality.

On the other hand, a camp representative said the armed group, which abducted eight displaced on August 17, returned to Bir Dagig camp on Tuesday August 28. The leadership of Assad Movement (local militia) met with displaced camp leaders and informed them that the Commissioner of Sirba Locality did not fulfill his promise to pay 12 million Sudanese Pounds (SDG). The amount of 12 million SDG serves as a compensation for the value of Kalashnikov rifles. They claimed one of their soldiers lost his rifle in the camp.

A witness said the armed group threatened the displaced to kidnap them and burn down the camp if they would not pay 12 million SDG within one week. The witness added that Omda Mohammed Matar committed to pay the gunmen in two terms.