NEW YORK – Sudan called on the U.N. Security Council to designate the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organization and hold accountable the states and entities supporting the group, saying conflict-related sexual violence has been systematically used as a weapon of war since fighting erupted in April 2023.
Addressing a Security Council meeting on Women, Peace and Security, Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said she was speaking on behalf of “millions of Sudanese women (Kandakas)” who have borne the brunt of the conflict. She accused the RSF of deliberately and systematically using sexual violence to terrorize communities and destroy their social fabric.
The envoy said Sudanese authorities have documented 2,250 cases of conflict-related sexual violence since the outbreak of the war, including 2,200 girls among the victims, as well as 190 cases of sexual slavery. She said the documented figures represent only a fraction of the actual scale of the violations because of limited access to areas under RSF control and victims’ fear of reporting the crimes.
She accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of providing the RSF with weapons, funding and political support, arguing that such assistance has prolonged the conflict and enabled the continued commission of violations against women and children.
The envoy called on the Security Council to condemn the violations, hold accountable the states and entities supporting the RSF, and designate the group as a terrorist organization.
She also said Sudan is continuing to implement its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security by strengthening prevention and early warning mechanisms, expanding access to justice, improving services for survivors of sexual violence and advancing security sector reform in line with the international Women, Peace and Security agenda.
The Sudanese representative stressed that “there can be no sustainable peace without the protection of women and children, no genuine recovery without justice and accountability, and no impunity for conflict-related sexual violence.”
The Security Council has repeatedly discussed the impact of the conflict on women and children since the war began in April 2023, while U.N. agencies continue to warn of widespread displacement, growing humanitarian needs and increasing reports of conflict-related sexual violence across several parts of Sudan.
