Widespread Sexual Violence in Khartoum, War-Torn Capital of Sudan

In its new report, Human Rights Watch stated that the paramilitary group known as the 'Rapid Support Forces,' which is fighting alongside the Sudanese army, is committing widespread sexual violence in Khartoum, including gang rape and forced marriage. The human rights organization added in its report published on Monday, July 29, that the Sudanese army is also committing such crimes. The report cites evidence of the captivity of women and girls in conditions that amount to sexual slavery, as well as acts of sexual violence against women in the presence of their families. The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces did not respond to Reuters' request for comments on these allegations. More than 10 million people in Sudan have been displaced. Both sides of the Sudanese civil war, which began in April 2023, have previously denied human rights violations, and the Rapid Support Forces claimed to have taken specific measures to prevent these crimes. The report includes observations from a woman living in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, who stated that she has kept a knife under her pillow for self-defense while sleeping for months. A midwife also noted the permanence of the militia's attacks, saying, 'They do not attack just for looting. They identify and target homes where women and girls live. They raid these homes looking for women and girls.' The report adds that many victims of rape who have become pregnant have no option for abortion. It also notes that boys and men are also targeted for sexual violence. Since the early days of the civil war, a large part of Khartoum and its adjoining cities, Bahri and Omdurman, have been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. With the onset of the civil war, ethnically motivated killings in the Darfur region, located in western Sudan, which has witnessed severe violence for over a decade, have increased. The Rapid Support Forces have been accused by human rights groups and the 'Masalit' ethnic minority in Darfur of committing genocide and widespread, organized sexual violence. Hala Al-Karib, head of a civil organization called the 'Strategic Initiative for Women of the Horn of Africa,' stated at a press conference coinciding with the release of the Human Rights Watch report that women from the Masalit ethnic minority and women from the Nuba mountainous region in Khartoum and surrounding cities are under continuous attack. Nidal Ahmed, a volunteer at the Khartoum emergency center, also said, 'The slightest movement by women turns them into direct targets for attacks. Several female staff members of the emergency center have been arrested or assaulted while on duty.' Human Rights Watch added in its report that after the Sudanese army captured Omdurman earlier this year, the number of reports of sexual violence in this city has increased.