Some signatories are not credible regarding their commitment to end sexual violence in armed conflicts

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) welcomes the fact that 113 states signed a statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to show their commitment for an end to sexual violence in armed conflicts. "But some of the signatory countries are not credible regarding their commitment," said STP-consultant Ulrich Delius in Göttingen on Wednesday. "States such as Somalia, Egypt, Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, the Philippines, Thailand and Afghanistan are not doing enough to stop sexual violence in wars and to hold offenders accountable. Obviously, many governments lack the political will to apply the existing laws and to act according to their promises."

Thus, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) registered more than 800 cases of sexual violence in Mogadishu, the embattled capital of Somalia, during the first six months of 2013 alone. About one third of the victims were children or teenagers. Instead of bringing the perpetrators to justice, it is often the victims who are prosecuted if they choose not to remain silent about the crime: 27-years-old Lul Ali Osman Barake, who lives in a refugee camp, was arrested in January 2013 – following an interview in which she reported about being raped by soldiers. Later, she was sentenced to one year in prison. International protests caused an appellate court to reverse the judgment later. Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim – the journalist who had interviewed her – was also sentenced to one year in prison. The sentence was eventually reduced to six months.

According to the STP, the authorities in southern Thailand try to silence women who were raped during the civil war with hush money or by forcing them to marry their tormentor. Most cases are not pursued. The last victim was a ten year old girl from Yala. "Money cannot restore their violated dignity," warned Delius.

After the official end of the civil war in Libya, the African rape victims in the city of Tawergha are still waiting for the offenders to be punished. Dozens of women had been raped by Arab militiamen during the eviction of the city's 30,000 inhabitants in 2011.

In Congo, the regular army is responsible for countless rapes of women and men. In the city of Mincovna in the east of the country, more than 80 cases of rape committed by soldiers were registered in November 2012 alone. These crimes have not been resolved until today.