Geneva – Conflict-related sexual violence has been used extensively as a weapon of war in Sudan since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, the UN Human Rights Office said in a report documenting hundreds of cases across the country.
The report said the United Nations had verified 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence affecting at least 838 victims between April 2023 and mid-April 2026. It added that the actual number is likely far higher due to underreporting, stigma, insecurity, limited access to survivors and the collapse of services in many parts of Sudan.
Women accounted for 64% of documented victims and girls for 34%, while men and boys were also among those affected. The UN said it had received reports of an additional 320 incidents that remain under verification.
According to the report, abuses were documented in 16 of Sudan’s 18 states, with more than three-quarters of verified cases recorded in North Darfur, West Darfur, South Darfur, Khartoum and Al Jazirah states.
The documented violations included rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, conflict-related abductions, forced marriage, forced prostitution, sexual torture, trafficking for sexual exploitation and sexual violence committed in detention facilities.
Rape accounted for 51.3% of verified cases, while gang rape represented 21.5%. Conflict-related abductions linked to sexual violence made up 17% of cases, while sexual slavery accounted for nearly 10%, the report said.
The UN Human Rights Office said approximately 87% of verified incidents were attributed to members of the RSF and allied groups. It also documented cases allegedly involving the SAF, allied security forces, the Joint Force and other armed groups.
The report linked the rise in sexual violence to the expansion of the conflict, saying such abuses had been used to terrorize civilians, force displacement and punish communities perceived as supporting opposing parties.
In Darfur, the report documented widespread abuses during attacks on El Geneina and Ardamata, including assaults targeting women and girls from the Masalit community. It said some attacks were accompanied by ethnically and racially charged insults.
The report also detailed violations committed during attacks on Zamzam camp and areas around El Fasher, where women and girls were allegedly subjected to rape, abduction and sexual slavery while fleeing fighting or during displacement.
Some assaults were carried out in front of family members and children, according to the report, which also documented cases involving very young girls and pregnancies resulting from rape.
In Khartoum, the UN documented cases of sexual slavery and prolonged detention of women and girls, as well as incidents in which victims were transferred to other locations and forced into domestic labor under threat and coercion.
The report further documented attacks on women and girls while collecting firewood, fetching water, traveling during displacement or crossing checkpoints. It also recorded incidents of sexual violence inside detention facilities.
The UN Human Rights Office said many survivors faced severe difficulties accessing medical care and psychosocial support because of destroyed health facilities, limited services and the breakdown of justice institutions across large parts of the country.
The report also documented deaths linked to sexual violence and its health consequences, as well as cases of suicide and attempted suicide associated with trauma suffered by survivors.
The Office concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that some documented violations attributed to the RSF and allied groups in Darfur, particularly in El Geneina, Ardamata, Zamzam and El Fasher, may amount to war crimes, while some acts could also constitute crimes against humanity.
The report called on all parties to the conflict to immediately end sexual violence, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure survivors have access to healthcare, psychosocial support and legal services. It added that impunity remains one of the main factors enabling the continuation of such violations.
The findings come as Sudan enters its fourth year of war, with international organizations repeatedly warning that widespread human rights abuses, displacement and the collapse of basic services continue to deepen one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
