Jebel MarraJebel Marra, a mountainous area at the junction of North, South, and West Darfur, has been a rebel stronghold since the conflict began. At first, the rebels had such tight control over parts of the area that some areas were largely free of government and militia attacks. Now the area has been carved up by the fracturing rebel groups and former rebel groups, making the groups more susceptible to government and militia attacks.81 Both civilians and rebels face beatings, rapes, and robbery from government forces and militia.82 In the past year, many people from eastern Jebel Mara, especially around the village of Dobo, have fled to camps such as Abu Shouk and Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur while others have gone into hiding in the mountains.83 The UN estimated that in July 2007 alone at least 12,000 people fled Jebel Marra due to insecurity.84 An exhaustive understanding of the abuses taking place in Jebel Marra is difficult to obtain, however: access to the region by observers has been severely limited at times due to ongoing insecurity. Some reports received by Human Rights Watch suggest that there have been serious crimes by both government and rebel forces that have not been adequately investigated. Information about rebel abuses in Jebel Marra, as well as other locations in Darfur, is likely to be further limited by the fact that victims, witnesses, and other informants are often reluctant to report abuses either out of a sense of loyalty or for fear of reprisals in rebel-held territories. Although many attacks remain uninvestigated, a particularly vicious attack occurred in the Deribat area of eastern Jebel Marra in December 2006. Large numbers of militia and government forces killed civilians and abducted and raped dozens of women and girls. One survivor told OHCHR, “Three of the attackers came to my house. They forced me on the ground. One of them held my legs, while the other two raped me.”85 The rebel commander with whom Human Rights Watch spoke claimed that the attackers were members of government and militia forces, as well as members of Abdul Gassim’s forces, the former rebel leader who sided with the government in late 2006 and was appointed governor of West Darfur in 2007.86 A public report issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed this allegation. The report also attributed the attack to the fact that the Fur community in Jebel Marra is perceived to sympathize with the SLA/Abdul Wahid or SLA/Abdul Shafi factions, both of which opposed the Darfur Peace Agreement.87 81 According to an August 2007 report by the OHCHR, “There are currently three SLA factions controlling Jebel Marra: SLA/Abdul Shafi (non-DPA signatory) controls mainly areas north of Jebel Marra, including Deribat Town and the villages north of Deribat. SLA/Abdul Wahid (non-DPA signatory) controls mainly south-western Jebel Marra, including Feina, Lieba, Gobo, Saboon-AlFagur, Gorlanj-banj, Torontonga, Golol, Kutorum, Baldong, and Golol; SLA/Abu Gasim (Government ally) controls mainly the eastern Jebel Marra area.” OHCHR, “Eighth Periodic Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in the Sudan; Women abducted, raped and kept as sex slaves following the December 2006 attacks on Deribat,” Geneva, August 2007, p. 4. 82 Confidential sources seen by Human Rights Watch. 83 Confidential sources seen by Human Rights Watch; Human Rights Watch telephone interview with rebel with rank of general, Sudan, August 15, 2007; Human Rights Watch telephone interview with rebel with rank of general, Jebel Marra, Sudan, August 18, 2007; UNMIS Office of the Spokesperson, “UNMIS News Bulletin,” April 30, 2007, http://www.unmis.org/english/2007Docs/PIO-UNMISbulletin-apr30.pdf (accessed August 19, 2007); “UNMIS News Bulletin,” June 14, 2007, http://www.unmis.org/english/2007Docs/PIO-UNMISbulletin-jun14.pdf (accessed August 19, 2007); and UNMIS News Bulletin,” July 23, 2007, http://www.unmis.org/english/2007Docs/PIO-UNMISbulletin-jul23.pdf (accessed August 19, 2007). 84 UN OCHA, “Sudan Humanitarian Overview, Issue 3. Vol 5.” 85 OHCHR, “Sexual violence during attacks on villages in East Jebel Marra, Darfur,” Geneva, April 6, 2007, http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/RMOI-6ZZM57?OpenDocument (accessed August 19, 2007). 86 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with rebel with the rank of general in Jebel Marra, Sudan, August 18, 2007; OHCHR, “Eighth Periodic Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in the Sudan; Women abducted, raped and kept as sex slaves following the December 2006 attacks on Deribat,” p. 3. 87 OHCHR, “Eighth Periodic Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in the Sudan; Women abducted, raped and kept as sex slaves following the December 2006 attacks on Deribat,” p. 4. |