Divorce rapidly rising in war-torn Darfur

The number of married couples filing for divorce in Sudan has escalated rapidly as a result of the conflict in the Darfur region.

That is according to the independent daily newspaper Al-Ahdath, which has indicated that family life has been severely affected by the upheaval in the western area of the African country.

As such, the number of couples seeking a divorce has risen considerably to reach 2,018 during the period from January to September 2007, Reuters reports, although the figure for the same period in the previous year was not stated.

South Darfur's capital Nyala had the highest number of divorce cases, noted Al-Ahdath, pointing out that levels of unrest in the town had increased dramatically and that many families displaced as a result of the conflict are now camped nearby.

The paper quoted researcher Salwa Muhammad Zariba as saying that "the ramification of the conflict in Darfur and its effects on the important pillars of the family" were to blame for the rising number of divorces.

In related news, it was reported yesterday (Tuesday) that a convoy of UN peacekeepers had been shot at in Darfur by soldiers from the Sudanese army.

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