| Sudanese police officers sent to restore security in troubled Darfur are sexually exploiting refugee women, according to a U.N. report. Khartoum says it has sent 10,000 police to the western region, and has only about two weeks to convince the U.N. Security Council it is serious about improving the plight of people in Darfur or face unspecified sanctions. "IDPs (Internally Displaced People) report increasing incidents of sexual abuse and exploitation in Abu Shouk Camp near el-Fasher committed by police officers," said the U.N. humanitarian situation report, received by Reuters on Saturday. "According to the IDPs the police are exploiting women's inability to venture outside of the camp to collect firewood out of fear of Janjaweed attacks by collecting the firewood for the women in exchange for sexual favours," the report added. It said some police had threatened women with violence if they did not comply with their demands. |