Sudan Conflict: Gang rape rampant in Al Jazeera state, says women’s group
November 28, 2024 (KAMPALA) – Gang rape accounts for 90% of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan’s Al Jazeera state, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network said on Thursday.
“Sudan has become the capital of sexual violence in Africa,” said SIHA regional director Hala Al Karib during an online discussion on the crisis.
Al Jazeera, southeast of Khartoum, has seen intense fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the conflict erupted in mid-April.
The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities, including mass killings, rape, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Al Karib said the violence, once concentrated in Darfur and Kordofan, has now engulfed the entire country.
“It has become a problem for Sudanese society as a whole, and it cannot be addressed without acknowledging it,” she said.
Al Karib called for political leaders to address the issue and for improved access to sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.
She also stressed the importance of justice for survivors.
“When a girl or woman is subjected to horrific crimes and faces denial, it exacerbates the trauma,” she said. “We are trapped in a culture of blaming and disbelieving the victim.”
Salma Ishaq, director of the Combating Violence Against Women Unit, said victims are often silenced by stigma.
“The victims cannot express their anger and sadness,” she said. “The stigma of shame within the family in Al Jazeera is higher than anywhere else in Sudan.”
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reported that the stigma associated with rape in Al Jazeera has driven some women to suicide.
Adela Abu Bakr, head of SIHA’s protection and response unit, said the group has documented cases of gang rape, sexual exploitation, and kidnapping in Al Jazeera. She did not rule out the existence of a market for the sale of women into slavery.
Abrar Mohamed, a specialist in community medicine, called for increased access to reproductive health services and for the provision of emergency contraception and condoms.
“We are asking organizations to provide condoms, as there are high rates of sexually transmitted diseases in Sudan, including among children and adolescents,” she said.