Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified 546 incidents of sexual violence in Sudan, spanning 16 of the country’s 18 states from the conflict’s onset to mid-April. At least 838 victims, mostly women and girls, have been identified.
These figures are described as only the "tip of the iceberg," with violence spreading along conflict zones and displacement routes, and consistently used to terrorize and traumatize civilians, according to the report.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that sexual violence in Sudan is being used as a weapon of war, constituting war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity when part of widespread or systematic attacks. In Darfur, there are reasonable grounds to believe some acts may amount to crimes against humanity.
The documented abuses include rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced prostitution, sexual torture, and trafficking for sexual purposes, with nearly a quarter of incidents involving gang rape. One case involved at least ten men raping a single girl.
The majority of verified incidents were attributed to individuals in Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms, affiliated fighters, and Arab militias, as well as the Sudanese Armed Forces, allied security actors, the Joint Forces, other armed movements, and militias.
Patterns identified include sexual violence to control civilian movement, abductions related to sexual violence, and sexual slavery, with at least 85 women and girls reported held in sexual slavery and forced into domestic labor or income generation.
Among the victims, at least 13 women, men, and children died, mainly following brutal gang rapes, with the youngest victim being nine years old. Many survivors face serious medical issues worsened by the collapse of health facilities. Additionally, at least 59 girls and women became pregnant or gave birth following rape.
The report underscores that unless justice, victim-centered responses, and efforts to address stigma and discrimination are implemented, peace and social cohesion in Sudan may be compromised for years.