UN: Darfur Abuses Continue

The Washington Post reports in Saturday editions on a new United Nations human rights report, which finds that "Sudanese security forces and other armed groups continue to rape and abuse displaced women in Darfur with impunity." In the report, the UN's high commissioner for human rights writes "Rape and gang rape continue to be perpetrated by armed elements in Darfur, some of whom are members of law enforcement agencies and armed forces, and the government appears either unable or unwilling to hold them accountable. Many women do not report incidents, out of fear of reprisals, and are discouraged from reporting by the lack of redress for sexual violence."

Louise Arbour, the high commissioner (a former Canadian supreme court judge) "said the Sudanese government has taken some minor steps to address the crimes, including the establishment of a committee to combat gender crimes and a special criminal court to prosecute alleged war criminals. But she said Khartoum 'needs to acknowledge the scope of the problem and to take concrete action to end the climate of impunity in Darfur.'"

Sick. But at least our media is reporting it. That's a start.