Amnesty accuses RSF of widespread sexual violence as war crime in Sudan
April 10, 2025 (LONDON) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have systematically used rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war, constituting war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said in a report released Thursday.
The rights group documented 36 cases of rape or gang rape by RSF soldiers, including against girls as young as 15, across four Sudanese states between the start of the civil war in April 2023 and October 2024. The report detailed incidents of sexual slavery, torture, and assaults carried out to humiliate and displace communities.
“The RSF’s assaults on Sudanese women and girls are sickening, depraved and aimed at inflicting maximum humiliation,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact.
Sudan’s conflict, which erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 11 million people. Amnesty noted that while both sides have committed serious violations of international law, its latest report focuses on sexual violence perpetrated by the RSF.
The report, titled “They raped all of us: Sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan,” is based on interviews with 30 people, mostly survivors and their relatives sheltering in Ugandan refugee camps. All interviewees identified RSF fighters as the perpetrators, Amnesty said.
Cases documented included the rape of a mother after her breastfeeding baby was taken from her, the 30-day sexual enslavement of a woman in Khartoum, and gang rapes carried out in front of family members. Some women were reportedly targeted on suspicion of affiliation with the SAF or raped after being unable to save wounded RSF soldiers they were forced to treat.
Amnesty stated that many attacks occurred openly, suggesting perpetrators felt little fear of repercussions. The RSF did not respond to Amnesty’s requests for comment on the allegations, the rights group said.
Survivors reported severe physical and psychological trauma but faced immense barriers to accessing post-rape care or justice due to ongoing fighting, fear of stigma, and reprisals. Amnesty criticised cuts to international aid funding which it said diminished access to essential sexual and reproductive healthcare for survivors who fled the country.
“The world must act to stop the RSF’s atrocities by stemming the flow of weapons into Sudan, pressuring the leadership to end sexual violence, and holding perpetrators including top commanders to account,” Muchena said.
He described the international response to the suffering as “reprehensible” and called for efforts to establish the truth, bring suspected perpetrators to justice, and provide reparations and comprehensive care to survivors.