The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, expressed deep concern on Tuesday over widespread atrocities against civilians amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan, particularly those fleeing North Darfur and North Kordofan.
According to a press statement shared with Radio Tamazuj, reports of sexual violence have surged following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) takeover of El Fasher on 26 October after a 500-day siege of the city and surrounding camps. Nearly 89,000 people have fled El Fasher and nearby villages, with women and girls reporting gang rapes, mass public rapes, and other forms of sexual violence, both in the city and during their escape. Patten emphasized that women and girls in El Fasher and Bara remain under immediate threat, facing both conflict-related sexual violence and its lasting impacts.
“Sexual violence has long been a feature of the Sudan conflict, but the current scale and brutality of violations is absolutely shocking,” said Patten. She categorically condemned the RSF’s large-scale and systematic sexual violence, highlighting findings from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, which show abuses motivated by intersecting gender, political, and ethnic factors.
Patten called on RSF Commander-in-Chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (‘Hemedti’) to implement immediate measures to prevent sexual violence, in line with his own Unilateral Communiqué on Sexual Violence Prevention and Response of 4 August 2023, stressing that these commitments must extend beyond “words on paper.”
The Special Representative urged coordinated international efforts to support investigations, preserve evidence, and center survivors’ voices in accountability processes to end impunity. She also encouraged the UN Security Council to utilize all available tools, including additional sanctions under the 1591 Sanctions regime, against those who perpetrate sexual violence.
Patten highlighted that civilians’ vulnerability is worsened by overcrowded IDP camps, food insecurity, and hunger, and called on all parties to ensure humanitarian access to hospitals and medical facilities, along with protection, medical, and psychological services, including urgent clinical management of rape within 72 hours for HIV prevention and emergency contraception.
Despite ongoing UN and partner efforts to provide healthcare and other essential services, Patten stressed the need for scaled-up international funding to ensure comprehensive, multisectoral support for survivors. She further called on the RSF to allow rapid and unhindered delivery of emergency aid and urged the international community to prioritize Sudan politically, diplomatically, and financially.
“We must strengthen our ongoing humanitarian response to meet the critical needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and end this war of atrocities,” Patten concluded.
