Most of the survivors have reported that they were assaulted by fighters of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Cases of sexual violence have been reported in the Darfur region, and the youngest victim is only 14 years old, according to humanitarian organizations.
Following the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces in April, dozens of women have reported rape in their homes, on roadsides, and in commandeered hotels. The war in Sudan has resulted in at least 1,800 deaths and displaced more than 1.5 million people. The horrors of the conflict have been compounded by a wave of sexual violence, according to testimonies from survivors, doctors, and activists who spoke to the AFP news agency.
Allegations of rape have implicated both Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Human rights lawyer Jehanne Henry mentioned that both sides of the conflict have committed acts of sexual violence in the past. However, most of the 49 sexual assaults recorded during the first two weeks of the conflict were attributed to the paramilitaries.
The head of the Sudanese Government’s Unit for Combating Violence against Women and Children, Sulaima Ishaq al-Khalifa, indicated that most of the survivors identified the perpetrators in Rapid Support Forces uniforms, except in six cases. The insecurity situation has led to the fact that no woman in Khartoum feels safe, even in her own home.
Mass rapes have been particularly reported in the Darfur region, where repeated abductions and rapes of women and girls have been reported in a hotel controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. Hospitals in the country have been looted or destroyed, making adequate medical care for rape victims difficult. In addition, many women fear reprisals if they report their attackers, leading to an underestimation in the statistics of these crimes. The documented cases are just the tip of the iceberg, according to a researcher with Sudanese Women’s Rights Action.