Sexual violence is widely practiced by all sides in the conflict in Sudan. Human rights activists call for arms embargo on Sudan Human Rights
Human rights activists investigating crimes committed during the war in Sudan have called for an international arms embargo on all sides in the conflict in that country.
“Since mid-April 2023, the conflict in Sudan has spread to 14 of the country’s 18 provinces, forcing eight million Sudanese to flee their homes and more than two million to flee to neighbouring countries,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chairman of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission to Sudan.
First alarming findings
In its first report since its establishment by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in October 2023, the commission said the warring parties – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Intervention Forces (RIF) – were responsible for widespread and indiscriminate attacks, as well as targeted attacks against civilians, schools, hospitals and vital water and electricity supplies, demonstrating a complete disregard for the safety of civilians.
The three independent human rights experts leading the Mission – Mohamed Chande Othman, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo and Mona Rishmawi – stressed that responsibility for grave violations rested with both sides and their allies.
“In particular, we found that both the SAF and the RIF had fought in densely populated areas, inflicting casualties airstrikes and artillery shelling in Khartoum and various cities in Darfur,” said Mona Rishmawi.
Survivor Testimonies
Although the Government of Sudan refused to cooperate with the Fact Finding Mission, investigators collected testimonies from 182 survivors, their families and eyewitnesses. They also consulted extensively with civil society experts and activists.
“The RRF, in particular, committed sexual violence on a large scale during attacks on towns in the Darfur region and around Khartoum,” Joy Ngozi Ezeilo said. “Victims described being attacked in their homes, beaten, whipped and threatened with death or harm to their relatives or children, and then raped. People were also sexually assaulted while trying to escape the attacks. We also found evidence that women were forced into sexual slavery as a result of abduction by members of the SRF.”
Call for peacekeeping force
Investigators called on the international community to send a peacekeeping force to Sudan under the auspices of the UN or a regional body, including the African Union.
According to investigators, the breakdown of law and order in Sudan has led to the mass recruitment of children to fight in the conflict. “The SAF is mobilizing in schools, and allied forces are using children in combat. “As for the SBR, they do it even more systematically, and that’s the only difference,” Mona Rishmawi noted.
The human rights activist called for the creation of a special tribunal for Sudan to bring to justice those responsible for committing serious crimes in conditions of complete impunity.