The US government has decided that Sudan is making progress on preventing sexual violence against women. In fact, they are so convinced that they have moved Sudan (along with Bolivia, Jamaica, Qatar, Togo and the United Arab Emirates) from Tier 3 to Tier 2 on the Watch List in the Department of State’s 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report.

It seems that "Sudan was reassessed based in large part on the government’s commitment to implement a plan of action to end sexual violence against women in Darfur. We will look to the Sudanese government to ensure quick and effective implementation of the plan."

In my experience, the only "plans of action" that the local authorities in Darfur are familiar with are the ones I have described in past posts about rape victims being prosecuted for adultery.

A recent United Nations report on the access to justice for victims of sexual violence mostly agrees with me on this - though something tells me this is one report that never made it into the bibliography of the State Department's study.

Tags: Sudan, Darfur, aid worker, rape, violence, United Nations