Sexual Violence Part of ‘Everyday Life’ in Parts of Sudan, Charity Says

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has released a report indicating that rape and sexual violence continue to be embedded in the routine of life in Sudan, even as combat shifts away from certain regions. The study highlights that these acts are not confined to active conflict zones, with incidents persisting in areas like Darfur that are no longer under direct military engagement.

The report identifies sexual assault as a central element of the ongoing civil war, often linked to acts of cruelty and degradation. Despite the war’s movement, the charity emphasizes that the trauma of sexual violence remains deeply rooted in communities, particularly in the western region of Darfur. This is the most detailed analysis to date on the issue in Sudan’s nearly three-year conflict.

Based on interviews with 3,396 survivors treated at MSF clinics in North and South Darfur between January 2024 and November 2025, the findings reveal a pattern of widespread abuse. Both Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are implicated, though the RSF is accused of being the primary perpetrator. The report underscores that most attacks in Darfur occurred in the aftermath of the RSF’s capture of key areas, including the displacement camps of Zamzam and Abu Shouk, and the city of el-Fasher in October.

MSF notes that over 90% of the victims they documented were assaulted while fleeing these conflict zones toward safety in Tawila. The violence frequently involves multiple attackers and is paired with severe intimidation, such as beatings and the killing of family members. “They took us to an open area,” recounted a woman in the report. “The first man raped me twice, the second once, the third four times and the fourth once,” she added. “In addition to the rapes, they beat us with sticks and pointed guns at my head. Another girl, who was 15… was raped by three men. We were raped throughout the night.”

Another survivor described how “two women in our group were raped by RSF fighters in front of us. It was four to five men doing it together. One girl was 22 years old and she died there.” The report also highlights an ethnic component to the violence, with non-Arab groups like the Zaghawa, Massalit, and Fur “systematically targeted” in these attacks. This trend is tied to Darfur’s prolonged conflict, which has sustained a climate of impunity and entrenched gender-based discrimination.

Sexual violence in South Darfur, far from active battlefields, has become a recurring phenomenon. Over 1,300 survivors, 56% of those seeking care at MSF facilities in the state, were assaulted during daily activities such as gathering firewood, fetching water, or traveling to agricultural fields. “Every day, when people go to the market, there are four or five cases of rape,” said a 40-year-old woman. “When we go to the farm, this happens. Men cover their heads and rape women… There is no way to stop the rapes. The only way is to try to stay home.”

MSF acknowledges that their data reflects only a portion of the full extent of sexual violence, due to challenges like displacement, fear, and the lack of effective protection systems. The charity’s findings reveal that 68% of victims in South Darfur reported attacks by armed groups, though other perpetrators—such as civilians, criminal networks, and family members—were also identified. Notably, one in five survivors was under 18, with 41 of these being younger than five years old.

The RSF leadership has acknowledged “individual violations” during the el-Fasher takeover but claims these incidents are being investigated, and the scale of reported atrocities may be overstated. However, the report insists that sexual violence remains a pervasive issue, sustained by a militarized environment and systemic inequality that enables perpetrators to act with impunity.