The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network reported that a 26-year-old woman died after being gang raped inside her family home in Wad Madani of Al Gazira State, following an invasion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The girl lost her life due to complications from the rape, while we were in the process of offering her support,” the report obtained by Radio Tamazuj states.
SIHA’s Horn of Africa Regional Director Hala Al-Karib, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the network has documented 265 cases of violence in Sudan since the war began, disclosing that at least 200 women have been transferred to safe places.
Al-Karib noted the lack of the capacity to work with male victims of sexual violence, despite the existence of cases. She said the provision of services was complicated and, due to traditions, men did not speak about such crimes.
She highlighted that the first step after reaching the victims was to remove them from the location where the crime occurred, then assisting them to receive medical services within 72 hours. Further, she pointed out that often communication with victims was difficult due to poor network coverage and the occurrence of violations in areas controlled by RSF.
“Some documented cases, after receiving initial assistance, prefer not to continue communication after leaving the scene of the incident. They do not want to receive medical help and seek to forget the trauma.
“The sexual violence occurring is widespread and has become normalized, happening regularly in various regions of Sudan,” she explained.
The Regional Director mentioned that violence against young girls had occurred from individuals within the host community in shelter areas in northern Sudan, attributing this to the lack of legal infrastructure and weak frameworks. She noted that women were sometimes blamed, particularly in those cases that were reported months later.
She said there were cases that only became known after leaving Sudan, or when the illness worsened. Al-Karib confirmed that they do not communicate with any of the warring parties, and that the evacuation of victims was handled by authorized entities such as the Red Crescent and the Red Cross. They rely on Sudanese for nobility, volunteering, and providing services.
The conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, which is loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.
The war has killed at least 14,000 people and displaced more than 10 million others, according to UN estimates.
The war has created the worst humanitarian situation in the world, with an estimated 756,000 people in Sudan facing “catastrophic food shortages” by September.