“They said they would only rape us. As if rape were different than death”
With limited coverage of the Sudan war in the media, you’d almost be forgiven for not being aware of the atrocities taking place there.
Sudan has long been a land of contention, with the current conflict being no less barbaric. Since April 2023, tens of thousands of people have been killed. More than 12 million people are internally displaced, and famine is looming.
Reports of sexual violence, exploitation, and human trafficking are continually on the rise throughout Sudan, although exact figures will likely never be known.
The stigma around rape is still a widespread issue in communities, leaving most women and girls who endure such heinous crimes to suffer in silence. For girls who were virgins beforehand, the shame they endure is often too difficult to bear. If their rape is disclosed they will usually be left stigmatised by society, making them undesirable for marriage.
Throughout the ages, rape has long been used by men as an act of warfare. Although boys are not immune to enduring such horrors, it’s typically women and girls who suffer the most during these times.
The brutal rape of underage girls in front of family members is common practice, as is mothers’ being raped in front of their children. Such evil acts of revenge only compound feelings of shame further for the survivor, complicating any chances of recovery.
The life-shattering consequences of being raped has often been downplayed by many in society. Whilst rape is illegal in the UK, you only need to look at how rape survivors have been treated over the years by the authorities, coupled with the criminally low conviction rates. And yet, we still have a policing and ‘justice’ system that is meant to protect us. However, what would happen if we were suddenly plunged into a civil war? Where is our protection then? It’s a frightening situation to consider. In the end, would we be any different from Sudan, Yemen, or even Gaza?
Thankfully, many of us in the UK come from a place of privilege when we look upon the world. That doesn’t mean we’re wealthy, with good jobs, families, or live in luxurious houses and drive the latest sports cars. No. It simply means many of us have little to no understanding of what it really feels like to live in a war-torn country, where we fear for our lives and our family’s lives every day.
The horrors that many Sudanese women are being forced to endure makes death seem like a daydream.
These horrors continue to repeat themselves in different women and girls. Going back years, the evil inflicted upon them bares a similar blueprint to the next atrocious act. Unfortunately, some witness accounts are simply too heinous to mention here.
More than 6.7 million people are at risk of gender-based violence, and reports of intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and trafficking in persons are widespread and increasing.
UN Women
Forced to trade sex for food
Latest updates coming out Sudan have highlighted distressing witness accounts of women being forced to trade sex for food aid. With Sudan on the brink of famine, food insecurity is at an all-time high since the conflict began last year.
The situation is so severe, that mothers have no choice but to unwillingly trade their bodies so they can feed their families. It really is a heartbreaking situation.
With millions having fled their homes since 2023, there’s a trend of looting the abandoned houses. Some soldiers are demanding sex in exchange for access to these abandoned properties, so the women can take whatever they can still sell in the local markets.
One woman spoke of the shame she felt over the rape she was forced to endure, and being reduced to stealing property to survive:
The story behind the conflict
The history of civil war in Sudan goes back as far as 1983. However, in more recent times, violence erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 15th April 2023. Since then, more than 12 million people have been displaced, with only a small proportion managing to flee Sudan to seek refuge in another country.
“The RSF was founded by the former dictatorial ruler Omar al-Bashir as an Arab counterinsurgency militia. Bashir wanted to crush a rebellion in the region of Darfur that began more than 20 years ago due to the political and economic marginalisation of the local population.”*
For many years, the RSF has victimised and terrorised communities, in particular the Masalits. Accused of ethnic cleansing, the RSF’s violent rampages are often racially and ethnically driven. As with any war, the worst affected are often women and children, and Sudan is no exception to this.
The World Food Programme warns that nearly 28 million people currently face acute food security as a result of the ongoing war.
Even before the current conflict, Sudan was experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis.
*For further insight into the conflict, you can read an article in The Guardian here.
Due to the dangers Sudan poses
The horrors taking place in Sudan is why vital organisations like Forgotten Women exist; because women’s rights around the world is still such a huge issue in 2024.
Every woman and child on this planet deserve to be safe.
Understandably, effectively and safely delivering aid in Sudan has its challenges, and as a women’s led organisation we have to be especially diligent to ensure the safety of our female workers. So, whilst we’re not currently in a position to be able to do so at present, we are trying our very best to make this happen. Any news, you’ll be the first to know!
