FEMALE REFUGEES from Darfur continue to be subjected to high levels of rape and other violence in eastern Chad despite the presence of a UN mission, which includes 400 Irish troops, mandated to provide a secure environment, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
The human rights organisation said the UN mission known as Minurcat was understaffed and underequipped.
Amnesty’s report documents rape and other violence against women and girls in the region’s refugee camps, who face attacks carried out by villagers living nearby and by members of the Chadian National Army.
“The rape that countless women and girls experienced in Darfur continues to haunt them in eastern Chad,” said Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of Amnesty’s Africa programme.
“These women fled Darfur, hoping that the international community and Chadian authorities would offer them some measure of safety and protection. That protection has proved to be elusive, and they remain under attack.
“The deeply entrenched culture of impunity throughout eastern Chad – especially when it comes to rape and other forms of violence against women – must end immediately,” Ms Hondora said.
Amnesty’s Ireland programmes director, Noeleen Hartigan, said that while Ireland could be proud of its soldiers in Chad, the UN force was operating at only half its planned strength. “At present Minurcat has less than half the 5,200 troops it is supposed to have. Amnesty International is calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to renew calls on the UN Security Council to deploy the full force to Chad and ensure it is properly equipped, especially with military helicopters,” she said.
Noting the Defence Forces’ role in combating gender-based violence through a unique collaboration between humanitarian agencies and the Army, Ms Hartigan said this military element was just one part of what should be a multi-disciplinary approach.
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs must exert every possible pressure to ensure that everyone charged with the protection of these vulnerable women and girls has the resources and skills to protect them properly,” she added.