Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias of committing war crimes, including rape, sexual slavery, and other acts of sexual violence, in South Kordofan state. The allegations come amid an ongoing conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that erupted in April 2023.
HRW’s report, based on interviews conducted during an October 2024 visit to the region, documents cases involving 79 women and girls, some as young as seven. Survivors, primarily from the Nuba ethnic minority, described being gang-raped, with 51 women and girls reportedly held as sex slaves for months on an RSF military base.
The RSF has not responded to the accusations, while Sudan’s military-led government continues to reject calls for international intervention.
HRW and local organizations say the RSF is using sexual violence to terrorize communities, force displacement, and consolidate control. Hala al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, emphasized that sexual violence is a deliberate strategy to weaken resistance and grab land.
Many displaced families have fled RSF-controlled territories, including Khartoum and Al Gezira, citing widespread fear and abuse.
Calls for justice remain central to victims’ demands. Al-Karib stressed that any political solution to Sudan’s conflict must address accountability. Past failures, including the refusal to hand over former President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court, have emboldened armed groups and prolonged cycles of violence.
Belkis Wille of HRW urged immediate action, including investigations into RSF abuses and the release of women and girls still held captive. “The U.N. Security Council and the African Union must do more to protect civilians and ensure accountability,” Wille said.
The international community’s limited response to Sudan’s crisis reflects a broader pattern of neglect in addressing atrocities. Sexual violence as a weapon of war remains a critical issue, yet mechanisms for justice are weak or obstructed. Without accountability and international intervention, such crimes will persist, further destabilizing Sudan and compounding civilian suffering.
