Sudan’s brutal civil war shows no signs of slowing, with reports of escalating atrocities and rampant sexual violence threatening to destroy entire communities. Harrowing accounts from a UN report detail widespread abuses, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) implicated in a surge of attacks targeting women and children.
The report, released this week by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, exposes the alarming scale of sexual violence gripping Sudan’s 18-month-old conflict.
Abductions for sexual slavery have reportedly become common, with victims ranging from girls as young as eight to elderly women.
“There is no safe place in Sudan now,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the mission, highlighting the pervasive insecurity that has swept the country since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
Sudan’s army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been locked in a bitter struggle with the RSF, commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The violence has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with more than 25 million people – over half of Sudan’s population – facing acute hunger.
War crimes and atrocities
The UN investigation accuses both the Sudanese Army and RSF of severe human rights abuses, including acts that qualify as war crimes.
While both factions are charged with torture and blocking humanitarian aid, the RSF is mainly responsible for documented cases of sexual violence.
Allegations include gang rapes, sexual slavery and child recruitment, with brutal methods involving firearms, knives and whips.
Some attacks reportedly take place in front of victims’ families, underscoring the violence’s intent to terrorise civilians and crush opposition.
Othman, a former Tanzanian chief justice, called the scale of violence “staggering”, noting the systematic use of terror, especially in Darfur.
Millions displaced
UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned this week that worsening violence in eastern al-Jazira state risks further atrocities.
Turk’s office has documented at least 25 cases of sexual violence during RSF raids on villages south of Khartoum, including the death of an 11-year-old girl and the abductions of women and girls.
The UN migration agency reported that over 11 million people are now internally displaced, with another three million having fled to neighbouring countries.
Amy Pope, head of the agency, described the situation as “catastrophic” and one of the most neglected globally, adding that funding shortages are hampering relief efforts.
