Kartala , August 31(Darfur 24)
Emergency committees in the Kartala area of South Kordofan State revealed on Sunday that women were subjected to rape while fleeing from the Hajr al-Jawad area to Kartala via the road that passes through Habila, a city under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Hajr al-Jawad station has become a meeting place for all those fleeing Dilling and Kadugli, where people gather in the hope of finding a guide to lead them through the dangerous road that to reach Habila.
Riyadh Abdel-Baqi, a member of the emergency committees, told Darfur 24 that “more than five women were raped by armed groups during the arduous displacement journey.”
He pointed out that these women underwent medical examinations before being transported, along with other displaced persons, to North Kordofan State for further treatment.
He added, “Emergency teams in Kartala also received approximately 17 displaced persons who had also been beaten and robbed while walking the same road, including three women and several children. This reflects the extent of the risks and violations faced by displaced persons fleeing the ravages of siege and hunger in the cities of Dilling and Kadugli via these roads.”
Abdul-Baqi confirmed that the area is receiving increasing numbers of displaced persons daily from Hajr al-Jawad, who are being gathered at Kartala Primary School in preparation for their relocation to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan State.
He pointed out that the emergency room succeeded yesterday in sending six tractors with trailers, transporting 57 displaced youth and 28 families, after they had been gathered over six consecutive days, in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of civilians and ensure their access to safer areas.
The situation in Kartala reflects a part of the humanitarian tragedy experienced by thousands of civilians fleeing siege and hunger. The roads leading to safety have become arenas of fear and abuse, while emergency committees continue their limited efforts amid extremely difficult conditions.
Some goods have become unavailable in Kadugli and Dilling due to the siege imposed on the two cities by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to a worsening hunger crisis that has forced thousands to flee.