Sudan: Victims of the war in Darfur speak out

Sudan: Victims of the war in Darfur speak about their plight

"The attack took place in at dawn on September 2003 when many Janjawid arrived on camels, horses and by cars. Some Arab women, on donkeys and on camels, accompanied them. The women took part in the looting. I was sleeping when the attack took place. I was taken away by the attackers in khaki and in civilians clothes, along with dozens of other girls, and had to walk for three hours. During the day, we were beaten up and the Janjawid they told us: 'you, the black women, we will exterminate you; you have no God.' We were taken to a place in the bush were the Janjawid raped us several times at night. For three days, we did not receive food and almost no water. After three days, the Janjawid had to move to another place and set us free. They told us: 'next time we come, we will exterminate you all, we will not even leave a child alive'." ( A 20-year old woman from Dasa village in Darfur

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"I was at home when the military came along with the Janjawid on horse back and on camels. They surrounded the village, set fire to a number of houses and shot at people, my brother was killed in front of me." (A refugee in Chad)

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"One day after the Eid al-Kebir, around 9 am, a first group of attackers arrived on camels, then another group on horses and the third group by car. They shot in the air. They were accompanied by Arab women, riding behind the men. These women sang songs to encourage the men during the looting. They shot and set fire to the huts. They said, 'nobody must live, we are going to kill you all'. They shot at the male villagers. All the huts in Dasa were burnt down." (A 30-year old woman)

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"I have lost everything now; I have nothing but the fingers of my two hands." (A refugee in Chad)

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"As long as the safety of my family is not guaranteed, I don't wish to return to home." (A refugee in Chad)

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"The village was attacked one day in August 2003 at 6am by men on horses, camels, three Antonov airplanes, two MIGs and in cars. The Janjawid arrived first on horses, then the government forces and then the planes. Some 150 people were killed: three women, four children and the rest men. The Janjawid beat up five adult women outside of the village because they refused to reveal where they had hidden their money. I fled with other inhabitants towards Wadi Sayra, then walked for 10 days to the border. The Janjawid had took away 300 cows, 400 goats and 200 camels, as well as money. (A 24-year-old woman from Kerana village, two days' walk from Jeneina)

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"The attack took place at 6am on Sunday 29 June and was carried out by both Janjawid and the government, arriving on camels, horses and by cars - - some 150 men in khaki in all. Two Antonov planes also took part in the attack. Some 65 men were praying at the mosque. The horses, camels and cars surrounded the mosque and the shooting started. All the men in the mosque were killed." (A refugee from the village of Goz Na'ima , some 80km from Abu Gamra)

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"We came here because the Arabs and the government are killing us. They drove us away from our village and took our property."

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"The government came with planes, cars, horses and camels. We can't fight them; we are very poor and only have God to help us. They are killing us, we had to run away or we would have been killed." (A woman internally displaced by the conflict)

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"As we left the village, the military came with the Arabs and the airplane dropped the bomb. Now I don't know where my mother and father are. I don't know if the military killed them or what happened to them. Our entire village is burnt. (A 19-year old male refugee in MSF field hospital, Tina, Chad)

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"The airplane came and bombed the area. We ran from the bomb... far from the village. We found the military with the Janjawid. They were on horseback and camels."

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"They hit us. We were injured. People came to take us away, but we don't know where our families are now... we found ourselves here." (A 24-year old refugee in MSF Field hospital, Tina, Chad)

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"We arrived at Birak around 10 August. The problem was that the Janjawid were killing and burning the houses. They attacked the village twice in August, on one Sunday and the following Saturday. They first attacked at 6am when people were in their houses. About 250 of them came on camels, horseback and by car. They attacked people inside their houses and killed 25 people. They said nothing they just started shooting as soon as they arrived. They came with the soldiers, they kill together, they have the same clothes and are in military cars." (A refugee from the village of Jaffal, South of Silaya, 165km from Tina, now in Chad)

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The attack took place on 28 August. There were many people killed: 82 during the first attack, 72 during the second one, including a woman killed in the market. During the first attack the village was burnt, some people were killed by gun shots. Others, like children and the old, were burnt. We didn't have time to protect ourselves. Women are often attacked, their cloths are taken from them and they are left naked; men are killed and women are raped; they are tortured, raped and beaten." (A refugee from the village of Murli, 5km from Geneina, now in Chad)

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"My son Abdel Qader, who is eight, was injured on the right hand by a bomb. It was 7July and he was near the house, herding goats. The plane came, dropped bombs and the fire coming from the bombs cut his fingers. Another young boy was injured. I went to the doctor to get medicine, but the plane came again and we ran away to Tina-Chad. He's going to go to the doctor today."

Abdel Qader: "The blood sometimes comes out between my fingers, it hurts. I'm a schoolboy of the 4th class and I write with my right hand." (A female refugee and her son from Tina, currently in Chad)

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"I came here because the plane destroyed my house, injured my husband and I'm ill. I came to have medicine from MSF. When the plane came, I was five months pregnant. I lost my baby because of the bombing. When the plane bombed, I was outside the house, I saw my husband was inside. I ran to the house. The smoke from the bomb made me cough, then I lost my child. I came here with my husband, he came back to Kornoy now. I came here 2 months ago because I was feeling ill. My body still hurts and my stomach is still big." (A female refugee from Kornoy, currently in Chad)

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"I come from the village of Suju. The Arabs came at 4 am and first started to shoot in the air, and then they started to shoot at the people who were fleeing. My son and brother were killed in the crowd, as were many inhabitants of the village. Many victims lay on the ground and could not be buried. The Arabs left at 10am after setting fire to the huts and stealing the cattle. Most of the victims were men." (A 50-year old woman in Goz Amer refugee camp, Chad)

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"The village was attacked on 28 June 2003, when men on horses and camels and in cars came in and surrounded the village at midday. The Janjawid were accompanied by soldiers of the government, the latter using cars. Two hours later, an Antonov plane and two helicopters flew over the village and shot rockets. The attackers came into the houses and shot my mother and grandfather, without any word. Most of the inhabitants had stayed in their houses. The attack lasted for two hours and everything was burnt down in the village." (A 25-year old woman from Abu Jidad village, in the Abu Gamra region, now in Mile refugee camp, Chad)

More information on the crisis in Sudan at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maacjvCaa7lOSbb0hPub/

Take action! Visit http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maacjvCaa7lOTbb0hPub/ (English), http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maacjvCaa7lOTbb0hPub/ (Spanish)

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