RSF accused of “systematic” violence against women in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah

November 24, 2024 (NAIROBI) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing systematic violence against women and girls in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah state, according to women’s rights activists.

Speaking at a news briefing on Saturday, activists said the violence erupted on October 21, following the defection of senior RSF commanders to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

The RSF have controlled villages in Al-Jazirah since December 2023. However, they have recently mobilized reinforcements from Khartoum and the Eastern Nile area to carry out attacks, according to the activists.

“This is not about capturing new territory,” said Hala al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA). “These actions signify a systematic escalation of violence in areas they (RSF) already control.”

Eyewitness accounts describe systematic assaults on villages, including indiscriminate use of advanced weaponry against unarmed civilians.

“Entire families have been wiped out,” al-Karib said. “The scale of devastation includes children and the elderly.”

Sexual violence has become a hallmark of the RSF’s campaign, with reports of systematic door-to-door attacks targeting women and girls. Over 100 villages have been affected, with widespread accounts of abductions and rapes.

Al-Karib shared harrowing accounts of suicides among women and girls driven by fear of sexual violence. In one case, two sisters took their lives after being gang-raped in their home.

“Fear is pervasive,” said one activist. “Many women say they would rather die than face this brutality.”

The RSF has also attacked hospitals, killing doctors and abducting nurses, further eroding access to healthcare.

Local communities have coordinated with SIHA to relocate about 200 women and their families to safer areas, but activists say much more help is needed.

“The situation is catastrophic,” al-Karib said. “The international community must act now to stop these atrocities and bring relief to the victims.”