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AL GAZIRA STATE, SUDAN - 19 Mar 2024

Sudan Doctors’ Union accuses RSF of sexual violence

Female health workers attend to patients in Sudan. (WHO photo)
Female health workers attend to patients in Sudan. (WHO photo)

The Sudan Doctors’ Union’s Preparatory Committee has accused members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of sexually assaulting three girls, one of whom is a nurse, at the El Hisahisa Children’s Hospital in Al Gazira State.

In a statement obtained by Radio Tamazuj, the Sudan Doctors’ Union affirmed that RSF members raped two girls who were accompanying patients at the children’s hospital and assaulted a nurse who tried to intervene and help the victims by raising an alarm.

The statement emphasized that the nurse was attacked while attempting to fulfill her humanitarian duty.

The statement called for accountability and urged those RSF elements responsible to be held accountable for the violations. It condemned the acts as barbaric and appealed to civil, local, regional, and international communities, as well as organizations and human rights activists, to collaborate in ending such violations.

Furthermore, the statement advocated for the establishment of a broad civil front aimed at protecting human rights and civilians in Sudan.

Dr. Adeeba El Sayed, a member of the specialized doctors’ branch, informed this publication that rape cases are systematic assaults targeting women. She highlighted that El Hisahisa Hospital has been dealing with a broader pattern of sexual violence against women, originating in Khartoum and spreading to other regions of Sudan.

“Women’s bodies are now the battleground in this conflict,” she said. “Over 60 rape cases have been documented in Khartoum State alone, with a total of 370 cases of raped women receiving medical treatment for complications across Sudan.”

The doctor anticipates a surge in the number of rape cases following the RSF’s incursion into villages in Al Gazira State amidst disrupted communication networks. She expressed dismay over the rape incident at El Hisahisa Hospital perpetrated by RSF members, stating that such incidents endanger the lives of medical personnel in Sudan.

However, Fahti Abu Ammar, the media advisor of the RSF, dismissed testimonies from what he referred to as government labor unions, considering them discredited entities.

He argued that these institutions are government-affiliated and biased, therefore their testimonies lack credibility without the involvement of independent research institutions.