47 rapes reported in Sudan’s Al Jazirah; 11-year-old girl dies
November 2, 2024 (AL JAZIRAH)– A Sudanese medical group reported on Saturday that 47 rapes, including that of an 11-year-old girl who died, occurred in villages in eastern Al Jazirah State. The attacks followed a campaign of retaliation by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a regional commander defected to the army.
The RSF began its offensive on October 21 in response to the defection of Abu Aqla Kikl. The targeted areas are considered strongholds of Mr. Kikl and his tribe.
Human rights organizations have documented nearly 1,000 civilian deaths and dozens of cases of sexual violence against girls, some of whom were driven to suicide. The attacks have also included the burning of farms, looting of markets and homes, and disruption of communication networks.
Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayed, a member of the Omdurman branch of the Sudanese Doctors’ Union, told Sudan Tribune that 47 women were raped, including three minors. An 11-year-old girl died from severe bleeding in Al-Hilailya.
Al-Sayed confirmed that survivors were evacuated to a hospital in eastern Sudan, where some were treated for severe bleeding, vaginal injuries, and cervical swelling. Three women developed urinary fistulas.
The medical group is coordinating with the United Nations Gender for Human Rights organization to provide urgent aid and protection to survivors and arrange treatment in neighbouring countries.
Al-Sayed appealed to volunteer doctors in Kassala and Gedaref states to assist in treating the survivors and criticized authorities for their lack of response to the crisis.
The Sudanese Doctors’ Union issued a press release with guidelines for treating rape victims, including the necessity of confidential medical examinations, clinical assessments, forensic testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
“They Are Thinking of Suicide”
Human rights organizations and activists report that several women in Al Jazirah have committed suicide after being raped by RSF members.
These reports follow accusations last week by the United Nations that the RSF committed “heinous crimes,” including mass killings, in the state.
A human rights organization told the BBC that it is in contact with six women contemplating suicide because they fear being raped.
“The RSF launched a revenge campaign in the areas controlled by Kikl, looting and killing civilians who resisted the attacks and raping women and young girls,” Hala Al-Karib, executive director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, told the BBC.
The initiative has documented the suicides of three women in the past week in Al Jazirah State. Two took their lives in Al-Sariha village, and the third in Al-Rufa’a village.
The sister of the woman who committed suicide in Al-Sariha said her sister took her own life after being raped by RSF soldiers in front of her father and brother, who were later killed.
Al-Karib emphasized that evidence of rape has emerged from only two of the approximately 50 villages that have been attacked, suggesting that the actual figures could be much higher.
An activist in Al Jazirah, who requested anonymity, confirmed to the BBC that women have committed suicide after their husbands were killed by the RSF.
The activist shared a WhatsApp message detailing the suicide of a woman who had been raped by RSF militants who killed five of her brothers and several relatives in Al-Sariha village.