Sudan Alert: Rape Used as Weapon of War

Rape is increasingly being used as a weapon of war in Sudan – and the world is largely silent. The UN Human Rights Office in Sudan has tried to raise the alarm, saying the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary is the main perpetrator. In one cited case, as many as 20 women were reportedly abused in the same attack.

The actual number of those sexually assaulted is unknown because of electricity and Internet blackouts, and the conservative nature of Sudanese society – meaning many women are suffering in silence. But RSF fighters have been brazenly boasting about their crimes online. In one sickening video, a militia member praises the act of rape as something that he and his fellow RSF fighters are entitled to, arguing that Sudan is theirs and that they are entitled to anything within the country. Such material should be used as evidence at a future war crimes tribunal.

Data coming out of Sudan shows over 5,000 female recruits have joined the army, with many citing the increasing incidence of violations against women as their number-one motivation. It is worth noting, though, that the Sudanese army created the RSF and – before they were rivals – encouraged them to use rape as a weapon of war in the Darfur region of Sudan, but for many of the female recruits, there are very few options left.

They say, in all ways, women pay the heaviest price, and this is undoubtedly true in Sudan. Please keep your #eyesonSudan and raise your voice for our Sudanese sisters. They need our voices now more than ever.