UN Report Reveals Scale of Sexual Violence in Sudan's Civil War
A harrowing report released by the UN Human Rights Office documents the brutal use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan. The report, issued on Tuesday, provides insight into the sheer scale of sexual abuse that has occurred since the outbreak of conflict in 2023. Warring violence is consistently followed by an increase in sexual abuse against women, men, and children, many committed in a systematic attack against the civilian population, the report says.
Key Findings: 546 Incidents, 838 Victims
The UN has recorded and verified 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence across nearly all of Sudan's 18 states, affecting at least 838 victims. These include 539 women, 284 girls, eight men, and seven boys. The figures do not account for unreported cases. In one documented attack, a nine-year-old girl died after being brutally gang-raped. There were 12 other reported cases that also resulted in a death.
Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said: "As I warned at the end of my mission to Sudan in January, sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war. This is a war crime and, if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, a crime against humanity." The report says sexual violence has been used as a war tactic in a highly systematic and coordinated manner, occurring due to political retaliation, association with specific parties, and ethnically motivated attacks.
Types of Violence and Perpetrators
Cases documented include rape and gang rape, forced prostitution, sexual slavery, trafficking, and forced marriage. The majority of incidents were attributed to men in Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms along with Arab militias. A number of incidents have also been attributed to Sudanese armed forces (SAF).
Call for Justice and Accountability
"Unless the patterns and impacts of conflict-related sexual violence are addressed through justice, victim-centred responses and efforts to tackle stigma and discrimination, peace and social cohesion in Sudan risk being undermined for years to come," says the report. Türk added: "Persistent impunity is clearly deepening harms and reinforcing cycles of violations and abuses. All perpetrators, including those exercising command responsibility, must be held fully accountable, and victims must be guaranteed access to effective remedy, including reparation."
The war has resulted in between 150,000 and 400,000 deaths since it started in 2023.
