Rights groups report sexual violence, persecution of Masalit in Sudan, Chad
December 18, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – A systematic campaign of sexual violence and ethnic persecution has been used to forcibly uproot the Masalit community in Sudan’s West Darfur state, according to a report released by two human rights groups on Wednesday.
The documentation mission by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) found that since fighting erupted in April 2023, civilians have faced indiscriminate shelling, airstrikes on infrastructure, and the destruction of healthcare facilities by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The report says that all parties to the conflict have carried out direct attacks, including killings, torture, and forced displacement. In West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, the groups documented the use of mass and gang rape, sexual slavery, and forced pregnancy as weapons of war intended to terrorize and displace Masalit women and girls.
Survivors and rights defenders reported that the RSF and its allied militias committed most atrocities in the region. Testimonies detailed instances where assailants questioned victims about their tribal affiliation before carrying out assaults. In some cases, perpetrators reportedly offered to spare the lives of male relatives if women submitted to rape, while others were shot or killed when family members attempted to intervene.
The investigation noted the presence of foreign fighters, including reports of Colombian militias joining RSF forces during coordinated attacks where dozens of women were allegedly assaulted. Beyond physical violence, the groups highlighted that perpetrators frequently targeted the Masalit on ethnic grounds, including the torture of women and the prevention of dignified burials for community members as a form of punishment for their identity.
The threat to human rights defenders is also acute, with documentation showing that women activists in El Geneina faced abduction, detention, and physical violence. One activist was reportedly raped after threatening to report violations committed by the RSF. The report further alleged that the RSF uses information centres equipped with Starlink internet for cyber surveillance to monitor human rights activities and virtual meetings.
For those who escaped to eastern Chad, safety remains elusive as RSF and allied militias reportedly move freely across the porous border into refugee camps. The infiltration has created an atmosphere of fear where survivors face continued surveillance and a lack of access to medical or psychosocial support. The groups concluded that the systemic failure of authorities in both Sudan and Chad to investigate these violations has left survivors without legal recourse or protection from ongoing exploitation.