In a recent report released on Friday, the U.N. human rights office detailed instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, emphasizing that these assaults may constitute war crimes. The conflict erupted in mid-April in the capital, Khartoum, between rival Sudanese forces— the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the paramilitary faction known as the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
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The violence swiftly spread across Sudan, impacting urban areas and the restive western Darfur region. The conflict has resulted in at least 12,000 fatalities and displaced over 8 million people from their homes, the report stated.
Covering the period from the outbreak of the fighting until December 15, the report documents abuses in a country that has faced limited accessibility for aid groups and rights monitors. The report highlights the impact of a conflict that, despite its gravity, has been overshadowed by other wars in regions such as Gaza and Ukraine.
The findings reveal that at least 118 people, including children, were subjected to sexual violence, with many assaults perpetrated by members of the paramilitary forces, occurring in homes and on the streets. One particularly harrowing account involved a woman who “was held in a building and repeatedly gang-raped over a period of 35 days.”
The report also brought attention to the recruitment of child soldiers on both sides of the conflict, noting that some violations could amount to war crimes. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk urged prompt, thorough, and independent investigations into alleged rights abuses and violations.
Based on interviews with over 300 victims and witnesses, some conducted in neighboring Ethiopia and Chad, the report includes analysis of photographs, videos, and satellite imagery from the conflict areas.
Despite the period covered by the report, the U.N. highlighted that the devastation of the war continues. Recent video footage from North Kordofan State depicted individuals in Sudanese army uniforms carrying severed heads of members of the rival paramilitary faction.
Speaking from Nairobi, Kenya, during a videoconference to the U.N. briefing in Geneva, Seif Magango, a regional spokesman for the U.N. human rights office, emphasized the alarming milestone of over 8 million displaced individuals in Sudan. In February, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres underscored that there is no military solution to Sudan’s conflict, urging the rival generals to engage in talks to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
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