Geneva (Reuters) – A United Nations agency warned on Tuesday that rape is being systematically used as a weapon in Sudan’s two-year-old war.
Anna Mutavati, the regional director of UN Women for East and Southern Africa, told journalists in Geneva via video link from Port Sudan: “We have seen a 288% increase in demand for life-saving support for survivors of rape and sexual violence. We are beginning to see the systematic use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war”.
She added, “Women’s bodies have become a battleground,” without specifying which party is responsible in Sudan’s war.
The war broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, shattering hopes for a transition to civilian rule.
Since then, the conflict has displaced millions and devastated regions such as Darfur, where the RSF is fighting to maintain its stronghold amid army advances in Khartoum.
Mutavati said, “This is just the tip of the iceberg; many do not come forward out of fear of shame and victim-blaming that haunts every woman subjected to rape and gang rape.”
A UN fact-finding mission last year described the levels of sexual violence, including child rape, as “staggering.” The mission said the majority of known cases were committed by RSF members and their allies, noting the difficulty of reporting such crimes in army-controlled areas.
A representative of another UN agency said on Tuesday that he had met women in Khartoum who told him they had been sexually assaulted in front of their injured husbands and screaming children.
“This is the first time in my life I have seen women abused to this extent,” said Mohamed Refaat, head of the International Organization for Migration’s mission in Sudan.
Britain is co-hosting a conference in London on Tuesday aimed at improving the coordination of the international response to the crisis.
Sudan’s foreign minister criticized the participation of the UAE and Kenya in the talks, saying Sudan should have been invited
