International
Refugees from the Sudan war rebuild their lives between fear and hope
Every afternoon, a group of women fleeing the conflict in Sudan gather in a tent in the transit center of Renk, a border town in the territory of South Sudan, to participate in a workshop on gender violence, where they share their testimony, receive the attention of professionals and begin to heal the wounds that the war left them in body and mind.
Some of the attendees are South Sudanese returnees; others, Sudanese refugees, and all try to overcome the fear, suffering and violence, in many sexual cases, that they lived during their escape from the war that broke out more than a year ago between the Army of Sudan and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (FAR).
They sit in a circle and listen in silence to one of the women who decides to explain her story. Some nod, a tear runs down the cheek of another who plays with the hem of her colorful dress, while a woman decides to add her experience.
The safety and well-being of their children was the first thing, despite being paralyzed by fear. Salma, a fictitious name, tells EFE that his three children were unable to sleep due to the fear of bombs and gunfire. Now they sleep a little better, but they are still restless.
“We fled our home in Khartoum (capital of Sudan) around midnight. No car. We walked in silence to another town and another and another,” Salma says about the nightmare of leaving his house behind and crossing the Joda border crossing to apply for refuge in South Sudan.
He doesn’t talk about her. She doesn’t feel prepared. She explains that she lost her husband along the way, without giving details, and is grateful because the little ones can go to a kind of nursery in the center, but regrets that the elderly cannot continue studying.
Dunia, also a pseudonym, feels lucky to have her husband, but shares her concern for minors. “I want my children to be able to go back to school. We want them to open a school here, we don’t want to go to the Mabán refugee camp,” he explains.
After spending half a month in the Renk transit center, the refugees are transferred to the Mabán camp, a nearby location, but neither Dunia nor other women want to: “The facilities are not good and they rape girls and women when they move away to the latrines or to look for firewood in the outskirts,” he says.
Sexual violence against women is a common weapon in all wars. It’s not easy to talk about this episode in their lives. None of them do it. Shame and social and community rejection weighs, and they do not want to reopen wounds that are still healing.
According to a report issued in February by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “at least 118 people were exposed to sexual violence, including rape, gang rape and attempted rape,” while Sudanese human rights organizations raise the figure to more than 370 in just over a year of war in the African country.
However, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. The director of the government Department for the Fight against Violence against Women and Children, Salima Ishaq, told EFE that only 2% of the victims of sexual violence have dared to report it to the authorities, while the rest avoid it because of “social restrictions” or “for fear of reprisals.”
“The estimates indicate that the complaints we receive do not exceed 2% of the actual incidents of sexual violence, which means that the total number could reach 7,000 cases of sexual violence,” he added.
Sexual violence has another retaliation: unwanted pregnancies. The Sudanese authorities announced in mid-May that they had taken in a dozen babies abandoned by women raped by FAR fighters, although they did not disclose possible cases resulting from alleged rapes committed by members of the Army.
Yamila was robbed of everything during her escape. Some armed men took her husband and demanded a ransom. He doesn’t have money or know where he is, not even if he’s still alive. “I want him to come back. I’ve thought about killing myself because my children ask me about him and I don’t know what to answer, but I have to move on for them,” he says in tears.
“They are the future. I want you to study and go to university. They are sad because they don’t go to class. One wants to be a teacher, the other wants to be a doctor,” he adds. Despite everything, he appreciates the company of the other women because they give him strength.
It agrees with her Nouran, who recognizes the positive effect that this therapy group has among the participants: “We talk about our problems and look for solutions. Together we are stronger and we help and advise each other, we talk about the children…”
The session ends, but they all feel a little lighter and more lively. They think that when they say something out loud, they take a weight off their back. Tomorrow they will return and little by little they will reinforce this network of women with which they are rebuilding their lives with a shared desire: that the war ends to return to their home, Sudan.
International
Missile attack hits Kharkiv homes, leaving 13 wounded
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a Russian missile attack on residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv has left at least 13 people injured, according to local authorities.
“A horrific Russian attack on Kharkiv,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, explaining that two missiles were fired, striking residential areas and causing “a number of casualties that is still being clarified.”
Local officials later confirmed that 13 people were injured in the attack, six of whom were hospitalized, including one woman in serious condition.
International
Sheinbaum evacuates National Palace after 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Southern Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo evacuated the National Palace on Friday along with journalists and federal government staff after the seismic alert was activated during her morning press conference, triggered by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in the south of the country.
The alert sounded while the president was speaking from the Treasury Hall, forcing the immediate interruption of the event and the activation of established safety protocols.
“Oh, it’s shaking,” Sheinbaum said as she noticed the tremor, before urging those present to remain calm.
According to preliminary information, the earthquake struck the state of Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most seismically active regions. The National Seismological Service (SSN) reported that the quake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time (13:58 GMT).
Sheinbaum led the orderly evacuation of the historic building, accompanied by reporters covering the briefing and federal government personnel. Images released afterward show the president waiting in the central courtyard of the National Palace as she awaited guidance from Civil Protection authorities on whether it was safe to resume activities.
International
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney to join Ukraine peace talks in Paris
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday that he will take part in peace negotiations on Ukrainescheduled to be held in Paris on January 5 and 6.
In a statement, the Canadian government said the meeting will bring together countries belonging to the so-called Coalition of the Willing, and aims to “accelerate efforts toward a negotiated peace” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, supported by robust security guarantees.
Carney said Canada is working closely with its allies to achieve a “just and lasting peace,” stressing that the Coalition of the Willing must both deter further aggression and reinforce security guarantees, while ensuring that Ukraine is able to rebuild, recover and lay the foundations for genuine prosperity.
The Coalition of the Willing is made up of around 30 countries, the vast majority of them European, all of which are allies of Kyiv.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a meeting of the Coalition, alongside other European leaders, will take place in Paris on January 6, focusing on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a future peace agreement with Russia.
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