Surging sexual violence in Sudan’s war spurs call for accountability
November 22, 2023 – (NAIROBI) – Amidst Sudan’s ongoing conflict, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) has raised alarm over a surge in sexual violence cases targeting women and girls.
In a bid to amplify the plight of Sudanese civilians and address the war’s impact on women and their communities, SIHA is hosting a pan-African Feminist Peace Conference on November 22-23 in Nairobi.
The Solidarity Conference will emphasize women’s participation in decision-making and provide a platform to discuss the entrenched politics of gender disparity and impunity that have plagued Sudan’s political landscape for decades.
During her conference address, SIHA Regional Director Hala Al-Karib denounced the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for perpetrating a range of atrocities, including forced disappearances, sexual assault, exploitation, slavery, and detention of women and girls.
Al-Karib underscored the challenges in accurately documenting these violations due to families’ reluctance to report them. She urged the exposure of these crimes to bring perpetrators to justice.
Local groups and UN agencies have corroborated accounts of sexual violence against women and girls by RSF forces in Khartoum and Darfur states. While paramilitary group leaders have pledged accountability, survivors continue to report incidents of sexual violence and rape.
Meanwhile, lawyer Inaam Ateeq revealed 20 cases of miscarriage among pregnant girls resulting from rape.
Ateeq cited Article 135 of Sudan’s 1991 Penal Code, which grants survivors the right to terminate pregnancies arising from rape if they have not exceeded 90 days.
She acknowledged the law’s ambiguity regarding the authority granting abortion permission, adding, “After extensive discussions among a group of lawyers, the prosecution in Wad Madani assumed responsibility for these procedures.”
Ateeq emphasized the preliminary steps required before an abortion, including a pregnancy test, a gestational age assessment, and a report on the survivor’s overall health.
The lawyer lamented the lengthy procedures, sometimes taking over 40 days.
Sudan’s conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The RSF’s takeover of greater Khartoum forced many city dwellers to flee their homes in fear of sexual violence and mass killings.
Women and civilians in Sudan have borne the brunt of brutal atrocities, torture, and trafficking by the RSF in greater Khartoum and Nyala in South Darfur.
(ST)