Sudan sexual violence rampant, RSF blamed for 70% of cases, U.N. expert says
June 19, 2025 (GENEVA) – A United Nations human rights expert on Thursday said sexual violence is rampant in Sudan’s conflict and has been used as a weapon of war, attributing more than 70% of documented incidents to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The statement by Radhouane Nouicer, the U.N.’s designated expert on Sudan, was released to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, as the war between Sudan’s army and the RSF enters its third year.
“I am deeply alarmed by the continued failure of warring parties to prevent such violence,” Nouicer said.
The U.N. Human Rights office had documented 368 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involving at least 521 victims as of May 31, according to the statement. Over half of these cases were rape, often targeting internally displaced women and girls.
Nouicer said the figures were “only a small fraction of the real picture,” with many incidents going unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation and the collapse of medical and legal systems.
Over 70% of the documented incidents were attributed to the RSF, the statement said. It added that as the conflict intensified in 2025, there were increased reports of sexual violence being used as a “tool of fear, reprisal, and intimidation” by both sides and their affiliated militias, often based on ethnic origin.
The U.N. has documented accounts of rape committed in front of family members, abductions, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and assaults on women activists.
“I strongly condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan,” Nouicer said, calling for perpetrators to be held accountable and for national and international justice systems to be mobilized to end impunity.
He demanded that survivors receive medical care and that future generations be protected.
“No matter how long it may take, justice must not be denied, for this generation, and the next generation,” he said.