In the war-torn region of Darfur, Sudan, a disturbing surge in sexual violence has been reported, with women and girls facing relentless attacks amid the ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and government forces. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has documented 659 cases of sexual violence in South Darfur between January and March 2025, with over two-thirds involving rape.
Claire San Filippo, MSF’s emergency coordinator, emphasized the pervasive nature of these attacks, stating, “Women and girls do not feel safe anywhere. They are attacked in their own homes, when fleeing violence, getting food, collecting firewood, working in the fields. They tell us they feel trapped.”
The RSF, a paramilitary group, has been accused of using sexual violence as a weapon of war to humiliate, assert control, and displace communities. Amnesty International’s report, “They raped all of us: Sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan,” documents RSF soldiers raping or gang-raping 36 women and girls as young as 15, along with other forms of sexual violence, in four Sudanese states between April 2023 and October 2024.
The situation has deteriorated further following the RSF’s seizure of the Zamzam displacement camp, prompting increased reports of rape and disappearances. The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (Siha) confirmed several cases and condemned the international community’s failure to respond. The withdrawal of a UN-AU peacekeeping mission previously offered some security to women, and its absence has left women exceptionally vulnerable.
The international response has been criticized as inadequate. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact, stated, “The world must act to stop the RSF’s atrocities by stemming the flow of weapons into Sudan, pressuring the leadership to end sexual violence, and holding perpetrators including top commanders to account.”
As the conflict continues, the plight of women and girls in Darfur remains a pressing humanitarian crisis, with calls for urgent international intervention to address and halt the widespread sexual violence.
