The United Nations’ Fact-Finding Mission has issued a report detailing the extensive sexual violence perpetrated by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and associated militias against civilians. The report outlines a harrowing picture of what it terms “staggering” levels of abuse, with victims ranging in age from eight to 75. The complete report underscores the targeted violence against individuals based not only on gender but also ethnic affiliations, predominantly against non-Arab ethnic groups in the Darfur region.
Victims endured severe abuse, including physical attacks, forced nudity, and threats of death, often in the presence of family members. In several cases, civilians were subjected to racial slurs during the assaults. The report notes instances of abductions leading to the prolonged detention of women and girls, marking these conditions as akin to sexual slavery. These acts, according to the UN Mission, likely equate to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
While there is evidence of abuses by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the majority of crimes have been attributed to the RSF and allied militias. This includes the recruitment of child soldiers by both warring factions. Despite public commitments by the RSF to investigate such abuses, there has been no response to the current findings. More information on the initial report can be found here.
Mona Rishmawi, representing the Fact-Finding Mission, pointed to the international community’s limited response, advocating for expanded jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to encompass all of Sudan and for the establishment of an independent judicial mechanism. The urgency for such measures is compounded by the dire humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and essential medical facilities destroyed or occupied, leaving little to no access to medical care for victims of sexual violence. For further details on the humanitarian crisis, the World Health Organization provides regular updates here.
In one cited case, a woman was held captive for over eight months, facing repeated sexual assaults resulting in forced impregnation. Similar documented instances depict women being abducted in public spaces, subject to beatings and rape, and then abandoned. Attackers often disguise themselves in RSF uniforms or headscarves to hide their identities.
The RSF, drawing lineage from Sudan’s Janjaweed militias, stands at the center of a conflict that has developed into one of the globe’s most pressing humanitarian emergencies, with Sudan now ranking among the top four countries for global acute malnutrition. More country-specific reports are accessible via the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs here.