Sudan Media Forum
KAMPALA, September 24, 2025 (Sudan Tribune) – More than two years after the war in Sudan broke out on April 15, 2023, women and girls face a catastrophic reality of systematic sexual violence and grave abuses, amid the absence of protection mechanisms and a disregard for their suffering at both local and international levels.
The latest statistics from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have revealed shocking figures, documenting 368 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involving at least 521 victims as of May 31, 2025. According to the OHCHR statement, more than half of these cases were rape, including gang rape, often targeting displaced women and girls. The data indicates that more than 70% of these documented incidents were attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The United Nations stressed that the figures provided reflect only “the tip of the iceberg,” noting that hundreds of other incidents go unreported due to stigma, fear of reprisal, and the collapse of the medical and legal systems.
Kordofan: An epicentre of systematic violence and rape
North and South Kordofan states are among the areas with high rates of sexual violence, especially among women displaced from villages to the cities of El-Obeid and Dilling. Despite the silence surrounding these crimes due to the conservative nature of the society, some survivors have managed to file criminal complaints and obtain the medical “Form 8” to access treatment.
A medical source inside El-Obeid Hospital confirmed that cases of sexual and physical assault against women occurred during the last three months after the RSF, the Sudanese army, and allied forces stormed villages and towns in North Kordofan state.
The source told Sudan Tribune that the cases of sexual and physical assault reaching the hospital amounted to approximately 36 among women and 10 cases of sexual harassment among minors by the RSF and some civilians in shelter centres between July and this September.
He also noted that cases of assault and widespread domestic violence by husbands had been documented, which prompted women to file complaints and obtain Form 8. He added that all cases received medical and psychological treatment at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Hala al-Karib, the Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), revealed the prevalence of sexual violence among displaced women from villages and rural areas near North Kordofan state, according to statistics from hospitals in El-Obeid.
In a statement to Sudan Tribune, al-Karib said the problem lies in the deep silence surrounding these violations, a result of the closed nature of communities in North Kordofan and the region’s long-term isolation from civil and human rights activism. She confirmed that some survivors have filed criminal complaints to obtain the medical Form 8 and access treatment.
She stated that most rape crimes in North Kordofan are committed indiscriminately by the RSF, even in areas considered RSF recruitment zones, where women and girls suffer from systematic rape. She reported that there are no exceptions in crimes of sexual violence, as women from all backgrounds in the villages and cities of North Kordofan are subjected to rape.
Warring parties: Enemies on the field, partners in violations
Hala al-Karib revealed documented incidents of rape of women in the city of El-Obeid by forces loyal to the Sudanese army, a fact that local community activists have openly reported.
She stressed that all parties to the conflict in South Kordofan state—from forces loyal to the army and militias loyal to the RSF to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N al-Hilu wing)—are complicit in sexual violence and atrocities. This is in addition to the kidnapping of girls and boys from villages whose residents are regularly and indiscriminately forced to flee.
The OHCHR said in a statement last week that it had monitored the use of sexual violence by army personnel, in which soldiers raped four women in a village in Sheikan locality, North Kordofan, after accusing the villagers of collaborating with the RSF.
The statement explained that the OHCHR had received reports of widespread arrests in Kordofan areas after the army recaptured major cities, where civilians were detained on suspicion of links with the RSF.
It noted that RSF fighters deliberately targeted three doctors, killing two and injuring the third inside a local hospital in Al-Nuhud, West Kordofan, last May. They also looted medical equipment and damaged parts of the facility.
Darfur: The great catastrophe
The Darfur region represents the greatest catastrophe regarding sexual and physical violations. In addition to sexual violence, enforced disappearance and the enslavement of women and girls have become daily occurrences. Sexual violence is not limited to women, as cases of rape against men and the elderly have been documented. The internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in South and Central Darfur, which are under RSF control, are a constant theatre of assaults, torture, and rape.
Hala al-Karib said, “Crimes of sexual violence are ongoing, and the enforced disappearance and enslavement of women and children are daily incidents that civilians suffer from.” She pointed out that sexual violence is not limited to women and children, as men and elders are also subjected to rape by the RSF.
She added that despite the high rates of kidnapping and enslavement of women and children from El-Fasher and its surroundings, the areas under RSF control in South and Central Darfur, specifically the IDP camps, are regions that constantly suffer from assaults and torture of civilians, including the rape of children and women by soldiers from various armed groups.
Displacement and persecution: Compounded burdens
Life outside the direct combat zones is not without suffering. In areas described as “relatively safe,” women face compounded burdens. On one hand, thousands of displaced women suffer from the loss of their identity documents, a major obstacle to them and their children obtaining aid, education, and healthcare.
On the other hand, the war has led to a rise in widowhood, as hundreds of thousands of women have suddenly become the primary breadwinners for their families, without any psychological or economic support to help them adapt to this new reality. Added to all this is the continued legal persecution, where women are subjected to harassment and criminalization by local authorities. Many are detained without clear legal grounds and are often deprived of legal aid due to poverty—a continuation of a repressive legacy that exacerbates social trauma and hinders any chance for peace.
Exclusion and exploitation
The exclusion of women from decision-making, whether in the distribution of humanitarian aid or in political processes, leads to additional disasters. The lack of information and protection mechanisms also exposes girls and boys to sexual exploitation. Meanwhile, “sex for food” has emerged as a tragic, daily phenomenon met with complete silence. If a victim speaks out, she faces the risk of criminalization, stigma, and arrest.
Hala al-Karib stated, “The war in Sudan cannot be addressed without looking deeply at its internal drivers, foremost among them the horrific violations against civilians, specifically women and children. Ignoring these crimes and remaining silent about them is not only a moral defeat, but it also legitimizes the continuation of the war and undermines any chance of building a future of peace and stability.”
-The Sudan Media Forum and its member institutions are publishing this press report, prepared by Sudan Tribune, to reflect the scale of the crimes committed against Sudanese women in the context of the war. The report interviews relevant sources and presents information prepared by reliable institutions to confirm that the rape and enslavement of women is more than just political propaganda between warring military factions.
