Home  World Crisis Women leaders call for end to rape in Darfur |
|
Women leaders call for end to rape in Darfur |
|
|
Written by Reuters
|
|
An international group of women political figures called on Saturday for a strong peacekeeping force to be deployed in Sudan's turbulent Darfur region to protect women there from rape. LONDON, Dec 09, 2006- In a letter published in newspapers around the world, the women said rape and sexual violence were "being used on a daily basis as weapons of war".
The signatories to the letter include former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Edith Cresson, French former prime minister; and Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi, among others. "Women and young girls live in constant fear of attack," the letter said, accusing Sudan's government of being "unwilling or unable to protect its own civilians". The letter calls for the "international community to deliver on its responsibility to protect these civilians". It comes on the eve of a worldwide day of protests over Darfur on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in Darfur since 2003 when rebels began an insurgency against the central government. The international community accuses Sudan of arming own Arab militia to fight the rebels. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Thursday the Sudanese government might have to answer "individually and collectively" for failing to protect the people of the troubled western region from killings, rape and destruction. The Sudanese government dismissed the criticism. Annan has been trying without success to persuade Sudan to accept a "hybrid" U.N.-African Union peace force in Darfur.
|
|
|
Madness takes over Lebanon.
Militants are fighting in the streets of Beirut. Military guns are on both sides. What is the prospect of such a situation. Aren't the Lebanese fed-up with wars?
23 November 2007
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud left the Baabda presidential palace without handing over the power to a new president. This is the first time since independence in 1943. |
advertisements
|
