As per the comprehensive report release on Tuesday, the International Fact Finding Mission for the Sudan said the Sudan’s Rapid Supoort Forces are responsible for commiting sexual violence on a large scale in areas under their control. The crime include gange rape, abducting and sexual slavery.
The report is the expansion on the fact finding mission’s first report to the Human Right Council in September. The report highlights the imperatives of protecting civilians in sudan.
As per the Fact Finding Mission, it was found that the majority of the rape and sexual and gender based violence was committed by the RSF in particular in Greater Jhartoum and Darfur and Gezira states. Chair of the mission Mohamed Chande Othman stated, “The sheer scale of sexual violence we have documented in Sudan is staggering. The situation faced by vulnerable civilians, especially women and girls, is deeply alarming and needs urgent address.”
As per the reports, in Darfur, acts of sexual violence were committed with cruelty particularly with firearms, knives, and whips to intimidate or coerce the victims. Many of the victims were targeted on the basis of their gender and ethnicity.As per the reports, these acts of violence often took place in front of family members, who were also under threat. Men and boys were also reportedly targeted while in detention with sexual violence, including rape, threats of rape, forced nudity and beating on the genitals, requiring further investigation.
The Fact-Finding Mission identified credible evidence indicating that the RSF and allied militias committed rape and other sexual violence, constituting violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws. These acts include violence against life and person, specifically torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, as well as assaults on personal dignity, including humiliating, degrading treatment, and indecent assault.
“These women, girls, boys and men in Sudan who are increasingly exposed to sexual and gender-based violence need protection,” said Expert Member Joy Ngozi Ezeilo. “Without accountability the cycle of hatred and violence will carry on. We must put a halt to impunity and bring perpetrators to account.”
The Fact-Finding Mission’s report further details a rising number of human rights and international humanitarian law violations, noting an alarming increase in these abuses daily. Currently, a quarter of Sudan’s population is displaced or has sought refuge in neighboring countries, with the majority facing heightened vulnerability to severe violations, including sexual violence.
