Escalating cases of child rape reported across Sudan

March 14, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – A Sudanese women’s advocacy group, “Together Against Rape and Sexual Violence,” has reported a disturbing trend: nearly one-third of recent rape victims during the conflict are children.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, as of early March 2024, the Rapid Support Forces and their affiliated militants were responsible for 81% of documented conflict-related sexual violence cases. This includes 60 incidents involving 120 victims.

The women’s campaign released a report detailing their findings in late February. They documented 81 rape cases in five Sudanese states between mid-December 2023 and late February 2024. This brings their total documented cases of conflict-related rape to 266.

These findings corroborate reports issued on March 10th by human rights and medical organizations. These groups documented a total of 370 cases of rape committed by both sides of the conflict since April 2023, with the Rapid Support Forces bearing the most responsibility.

The “Together Against Rape and Sexual Violence” campaign highlighted the geographic concentration of these crimes. They found that 43% of documented cases occurred in Al Jazirah State, an area previously controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. North Darfur saw 27% of the cases, with the remaining incidents distributed across Khartoum, Central Darfur, and White Nile states.

The campaign stressed the urgent need for comprehensive support for survivors. This includes psychological, medical, legal, and community-based resources to help victims heal from these horrific experiences. They also advocate for facilitating access to safe and legal abortion for victims of rape, along with streamlined procedures to receive necessary treatment.

The disrupted communication networks and internet limitations in conflict-affected regions, coupled with the conservative nature of Sudanese society, make it extremely challenging to monitor and document sexual violence. This suggests that the true number of victims is likely far higher than those reported.

(ST)