Staggering Sexual Violence in Sudan: Unveiling the Horrors

A U.N. mission has reported staggering levels of sexual violence in Sudan, with the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias allegedly committing widespread abuses. Victims, aged between eight and 75, are terrorized and punished, with racially targeted assaults prevalent in West Darfur.

The United Nations has raised alarms about the shocking scale of sexual violence in Sudan, attributing the most severe abuses to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies. A fact-finding mission revealed these forces have raped civilians as they advance, often abducting women into sexual slavery.

The mission's report highlights victims as young as eight and as old as 75, with crimes committed largely by the RSF and aligned Arab militias targeting those suspected of supporting enemy factions. The RSF, engaged in hostilities with Sudan's army, has previously stated its intent to investigate such allegations.

The conflict, which has largely escaped global attention, has escalated into a dire humanitarian crisis, with mass displacements and ethnic violence, especially against the Masalit people in West Darfur. Reports suggest both the RSF and the Sudanese army resort to significant human rights violations, including the recruitment of child soldiers.

(With inputs from agencies.)