Kidnapping and sexual slavery of underage girls in Greater Khartoum
November 29, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Disturbing reports have emerged of the kidnapping and sexual slavery of underage girls in Greater Khartoum, highlighting the harrowing experiences faced by vulnerable civilians in the war-torn region.
On November 24, two underage girls, identified as D (15) and O (13), were forcibly abducted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from their makeshift residence in the Safa neighbourhood of Al-Klakla in Khartoum State.
The victims’ mother, already struggling to survive in Khartoum since the onset of the war, witnessed the horrifying incident. The family has been without the father, who ventured to work in the gold mining sector in another state two years ago, leaving them in a perilous situation.
Eyewitnesses recount that RSF soldiers stormed the house, seizing the girls under the pretext that they were ‘needed.’ The distraught mother, crying and screaming, was powerless as the armed forces threatened and terrorized those present. Despite concerted efforts by a network of family and friends, D and O remain missing days after the abduction.
Emerging patterns suggest that these kidnappings are part of a recurring trend. Sources from Khartoum emergency rooms reveal that young girls, predominantly underage, are being taken to an RSF soldiers’ camp in Wad Al-Aqali, where they are forced into sexual slavery for the RSF soldiers in the area.
This incident adds to a series of atrocities and war crimes committed in Sudan, primarily by the RSF. Reports from as early as July indicate a systematic pattern of kidnapping female civilians in Khartoum and Darfur for purposes of sexual slavery, ransom, or sale in markets. Eyewitnesses have reported sightings of women and girls bound and held in cars in Darfur or en route to Darfur.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network has condemned the incidents and called for urgent intervention.
SIHA urgently calls upon the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian organizations on the ground to mediate and facilitate the safe return of the kidnapped girls to their mother.
The women’s regional network emphasizes the importance of amplifying the voices of those on the frontline, ensuring they are not silenced by violence and intimidation.
Against the backdrop of at least 717 reported cases of enforced disappearances, since the conflict began in April 2023, with 51 confirmed cases involving women (47 adults and 4 minors), SIHA underscores the urgent need for action to address this crisis and protect vulnerable populations in Greater Khartoum.
(ST)