Rights group says sexual violence is rampant in Sudan's conflict, calls for international protection
CAIRO (AP) — Human Rights Watch has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating crisis in Sudan, highlighting rampant sexual violence amid the ongoing civil war. The organization has accused the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of committing egregious acts, including gang rapes and forced marriages of young girls. The military has also been implicated in these violations, prompting calls for urgent international intervention.
In a report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch urged the United Nations and the African Union to establish a joint mission aimed at protecting civilians in Sudan, where over 15 months of conflict between the military and the RSF show no signs of resolution. Laetitia Bader, the deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The Rapid Support Forces have raped, gang raped, and forced into marriage countless women and girls in residential areas in Sudan’s capital.”
The report details how both warring factions have obstructed survivors' access to essential emergency care. The military has been accused of deliberately restricting humanitarian aid shipments to RSF-controlled regions, including vital medical supplies. Conversely, the RSF has reportedly looted medical resources and occupied healthcare facilities, further exacerbating the crisis.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in April 2023, Sudan has descended into chaos, with the conflict claiming over 14,000 lives and injuring 33,000 others, according to U.N. estimates. Rights activists warn that the actual toll may be significantly higher. The conflict has also triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, forcing more than 11 million people to flee their homes.
The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed militias during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, has been linked to numerous human rights abuses. Former President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades until his ousting in 2019, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and other crimes.
Human Rights Watch's report documents widespread sexual violence, including forced and child marriages, particularly in the Greater Khartoum area, which encompasses the capital and its neighboring cities, Omdurman and Bahri. The organization noted that 18 healthcare providers treated 262 survivors of sexual violence, ranging in age from nine to 60, between April 2023 and February 2024.
One survivor, a 20-year-old woman living in an RSF-controlled area, expressed her fear, stating, “I have slept with a knife under my pillow for months in fear from the raids that lead to rape by RSF. Since this war started, it is not safe anymore to be a woman living in Khartoum under RSF.” Human Rights Watch characterized these acts as “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
While the majority of reported cases of sexual violence have been attributed to the RSF, some incidents involving the military have also been documented, particularly in areas where the military maintained control earlier this year. The report indicates that men and boys have also been victims of sexual violence, including in detention.
Neither the RSF nor the military has responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations. Human Rights Watch criticized both parties for failing to take meaningful action to prevent sexual violence or to investigate crimes committed by their forces. An RSF spokesman denied allegations of occupying hospitals but did not provide evidence of any effective investigations into claims of sexual violence.
The organization has called for the African Union and the United Nations to deploy a new mission to protect civilians in Sudan, emphasizing the need to prevent sexual and gender-based violence. “The United Nations and African Union need to mobilize this protection, and states should hold accountable those responsible for ongoing sexual violence, attacks on local responders, health facilities, and the blocking of aid,” Bader stated.
Recent clashes in eastern Sudan and the city of al-Fasher, the military's last stronghold in Darfur, have further escalated tensions. An RSF attack on al-Fasher resulted in at least 31 civilian deaths and 66 injuries, according to local pro-democracy groups. The RSF has been besieging al-Fasher for months, leading to significant civilian suffering.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and markets, which caught many residents off guard after a brief period of relative calm. International experts have warned that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months, with 8.5 million experiencing extreme food shortages.
As the situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, the urgent need for international protection and intervention has never been more critical.