Umm Dafuq, September 1(Darfur 24)
A local official in the Birau camp for Sudanese refugees in the Central African Republic revealed on Monday that two girls were subjected to a heinous rape crime on Saturday by unknown assailants while they were out collecting firewood outside the refugee camp.
The rape incident comes weeks after refugees in the Birau refgee camp called on local authorities and international organizations for protection following three incidents, including a murder, inside the camp, which raised widespread fears among the refugees.
The local official, who requested anonymity, told Darfur 24 that the two girls, Howayda and Hadeel, were brutally raped by unknown young men.
He indicated that the girls’ families filed a criminal complaint after they were transferred to the hospital.
He explained that the medical reports showed ruptures in their reproductive organs and evidence of rape.
He stressed that the incident sparked anger and fear among refugees, with discontent growing as the Central African security authorities failed to apprehend the perpetrators.
In a statement to Darfur 24, the head of the Brau camp, Ahmed Adam Al-Sheikh, called for a change in the security team responsible for protecting the camp.
He described the conditions in the camp as unsafe, calling on refugees to protect their families, especially children and women.
Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees indicates that more than 38,000 Sudanese have sought refuge in the Central African Republic, among the approximately 4.1 million people who have fled to neighboring countries since the outbreak of war in Sudan.