A shocking incident in South Kordofan, Sudan, has highlighted the alarming rise in sexual violence amidst the ongoing civil conflict, which began in March 2023. Reports indicate that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group previously affiliated with the Sudanese government, have been committing heinous acts against civilians, including gang rapes at gunpoint.
In a particularly brutal attack, a group of RSF militants stormed the village of Habila in the early hours, targeting women and children. Among the victims was a disabled four-year-old boy, Emmanuel, who was one of at least 19 individuals subjected to sexual violence during this incident. According to Najwa, a mother of eight who spoke under a pseudonym, she and her children were trapped in their car when the RSF surrounded them.
The militants dragged Najwa from her vehicle and forced her and 14 other women into a clearing. According to her account, the soldiers instructed the women to undress and lie face down, threatening, “If somebody wants to talk, we will kill you.” Najwa described the harrowing experience as multiple soldiers took turns raping the women, with her stating, “They were just doing it in front of everyone; they don’t care who is harmed.”
Tragically, Emmanuel attempted to intervene when he witnessed the assault on his mother. He was forcibly taken to the same clearing, where he too became a victim of sexual violence. “They raped him from behind,” Najwa recounted, adding that the soldiers beat him and shouted for him to stop crying. The emotional trauma has left Emmanuel suffering from severe pain and distress since the incident.
The attack in Habila is part of a broader pattern of sexual violence that has surged since the outbreak of the civil war. The United Nations reports that the RSF’s actions constitute war crimes, with sexual violence occurring on a “staggering scale.” Investigators from the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission noted, “Men and boys were not spared,” although the number of reported cases for them remains significantly lower.
Seif Magango, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that the use of sexual violence has increased since the RSF took control of parts of northern Darfur last year. He highlighted that some women reported being assaulted based on their community’s support for the Sudanese Armed Forces. In a shocking revelation, it was reported that some RSF members indicated they needed to impregnate women to create future fighters.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, with over 150,000 people killed and approximately 12 million displaced since the conflict began. Famine has been declared in two regions, marking what the United Nations has termed the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
Rights groups and activists have raised alarm over the devastating psychological impact on survivors. In Gezira state, reports emerged of women taking their own lives after experiencing rape at the hands of RSF soldiers. Some have even resorted to forming suicide pacts to avoid the impending threat of violence from RSF troops approaching their villages.
As the conflict rages on, the international community faces pressing challenges in addressing both the immediate humanitarian needs and the urgent need to protect civilians from further atrocities. The situation in Sudan remains critical, calling for heightened awareness and intervention to safeguard the rights and lives of vulnerable populations.
