Reports of sexual violence and human rights abuses during Sudan’s ongoing civil war have highlighted the severe impact of the conflict on vulnerable populations. According to a recent investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed widespread sexual atrocities, including the rape of women and girls as young as seven, and the use of sexual slavery as a weapon of war.
The HRW report draws on interviews conducted in Sudan’s South Kordofan state. It sheds light on the atrocities that have occurred since the outbreak of the civil war 20 months ago. This conflict, which pits the RSF against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. HRW’s findings build on earlier accusations made by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, which also reported systematic sexual violence by the RSF.
Witness testimonies collected during HRW’s investigation reveal horrifying accounts of abuse. A Nuba woman shared her ordeal, describing how her husband and son were killed when they tried to protect her from six RSF fighters who then gang-raped her. Such cases demonstrate the targeted nature of the violence, with ethnicity often being a factor in the attacks.
HRW documented information regarding 79 survivors of sexual violence, ranging in age from seven to 50. Most of the reported incidents occurred in 2024, near the town of Habila in South Kordofan. Survivors recounted being subjected to gang rapes, often in the presence of family members, or enduring repeated abuse while being held captive as sex slaves.
One survivor, identified under the pseudonym Hania to protect her identity, was taken from her home while three months pregnant and held captive at an RSF military base in Dibeibat, about 85 kilometers from her town. Alongside dozens of other women and girls, she experienced extreme mistreatment, including inadequate food and constant sexual violence. Survivors were confined in makeshift pens constructed from wires and tree branches, with their movements heavily restricted.
Hania described how captives were chained in groups and released only briefly to use the toilet. Following a failed escape attempt, she was brutally beaten with a metal-tipped whip. Her captivity lasted three months before a sympathetic soldier facilitated her release. During her ordeal, she and a fellow captive fell pregnant due to the repeated assaults.
None of the survivors interviewed by HRW expressed confidence in achieving justice for the crimes committed against them. Many felt abandoned by the legal and humanitarian systems, with one woman stating that she could only seek solace in reporting her plight to God. HRW underscored the lack of accessible support services for victims, let alone meaningful legal recourse or protection from further violence.
The conflict has had devastating humanitarian consequences beyond sexual violence. The United Nations World Food Programme reports that more than half of Sudan’s population is now facing acute hunger, with the country teetering on the brink of famine. The war has displaced millions, leaving countless families without access to basic necessities or safety.
HRW has called on global organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union to intervene, urging them to provide support services for survivors and to hold perpetrators accountable. Belkis Wille, HRW’s associate crisis and conflict director, highlighted the magnitude of the sexual violence crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for action to protect Sudanese women and girls from further harm.
Despite international efforts to mediate the conflict, a lasting resolution remains elusive. Dialogue between the warring parties the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the SAF, under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has yet to produce meaningful progress toward peace.
The HRW report is a sobering reminder of the human cost of Sudan’s civil war. It calls for immediate action to address the sexual violence crisis and to provide justice for survivors, while also advocating for renewed efforts to end the conflict and its widespread suffering.
