Sudan rights group reports sexual violence against thousands of men and boys

October 8, 2026 (KHARTOUM) — A Sudanese rights group said on Thursday it had documented 3,708 cases of rape and sexual violence against men and boys since war erupted in 2023, pointing to severe abuses inside detention centres.

The Youth for Darfur organisation, known as Mashad, said in a statement that more than 900 of the documented victims were children under 18.

The group attributed 73% of the verified incidents to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while linking the remaining 27% to other armed factions and forces.

Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the figures or the allegations. Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have faced repeated accusations of rights violations during the conflict, which both sides have routinely denied.

Mashad said documenting abuses across Sudan remains severely constrained by ongoing fighting, blackouts, and restricted access, meaning the tally represents only verified cases rather than the full scale of violence.

The monitor said it gathered direct testimonies from more than 80 men and youths who reported being sexually assaulted while detained, including individuals who escaped RSF detention facilities and others held elsewhere.

The statement also cited unverified reports alleging that some detainees in Darfur — specifically at Shala prison in El Fasher and Daqrees facility in Nyala — were subjected to forced surgeries involving organ removal, including kidneys.

Mashad said the claims, along with allegations regarding foreign medical workers, could not be verified and called for an independent international inquiry into conditions in detention centres across the country.