Women raped in war-hit Sudan die by suicide, activists say

3 weeks ago 18

Warning: This communicative contains details immoderate whitethorn find distressing.

Several women person taken their lives successful Sudan's cardinal Gezira authorities aft being raped by paramilitary fighters successful the brutal civilian warfare raging successful the country, rights groups and activists person said.

The reports travel aft the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was accused by the UN of "atrocious crimes", including wide killings, successful the authorities past week.

With RSF fighters continuing to advance, 1 rights radical has told the BBC it is successful interaction with six women who are contemplating taking their ain lives arsenic they fearfulness being sexually assaulted.

But the RSF has dismissed a caller UN study blaming a emergence successful intersexual unit connected its combatants, telling the BBC the accusations "were not based connected evidence".

The vicious conflict for powerfulness betwixt the service and RSF has killed tens of thousands of radical and forced much than 11 cardinal radical from their homes since the struggle began successful April 2023.

The caput of the UN World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, visited the assistance hub of Port Sudan this week, and told the BBC that the state could spot the world's largest-ever humanitarian situation if a ceasefire is not reached.

She warned that millions of radical could dice from starvation.

Reports of paramilitary fighters connected the rampage successful Gezira travel the caller defection to the service of Abu Aqla Kayka, the RSF’s apical commandant successful the state.

"The RSF started a revenge run successful areas nether the power of Abu Kayka. They looted, killed civilians who were resisting and raped women and small girls," Hala al-Karib, caput of the Strategic Initiative for Women successful the Horn of Africa (Siha), told the BBC.

Siha, which has been documenting gender-based unit successful Sudan during the war, had confirmed 3 cases of termination by women implicit the past week successful Gezira state, she said.

Ms Karib said that 2 were successful the colony of Al Seriha and a 3rd successful the municipality of Ruffa.

The sister of a pistillate who took her ain beingness successful the colony told Siha it happened aft she was raped by RSF soldiers successful beforehand of her begetter and brother. The 2 men were aboriginal killed.

A bid of videos person been shared online implicit the past week that look to amusement dozens of bodies wrapped successful blankets from an alleged RSF massacre successful Al Seriha.

BBC Verify has been capable to lucifer the determination of this footage to the courtyard of a mosque successful Al Seriha.

The grounds of suicides came from lone 2 areas retired of the 50 oregon truthful villages that person precocious travel nether attack, Ms Karib said, adding that the fig could beryllium higher arsenic mobile communications were patchy.

A pistillate activistic from Gezira, who asked to stay anonymous arsenic she feared for her life, told the BBC she had confirmed accounts of women taking their lives aft their husbands had been killed by the RSF.

She had seen WhatsApp messages from 1 pistillate who described however her sister had taken her ain beingness aft being raped by RSF militiamen, who had besides killed 5 of her brothers and immoderate of her uncles besides successful Al Seriha.

But similar Siha, she said it was intolerable to verify accounts connected societal media of reported wide suicides of women fearing rape fixed the connection problems.

On Tuesday, an 80-page UN study said that since the struggle began, astatine slightest 400 survivors of conflict-related intersexual unit person been documented up to July 2024, with the existent fig suspected to beryllium overmuch higher.

"The sheer standard of intersexual unit we person documented successful Sudan is staggering," said Mohamed Chande Othman, the UN seat of the sheet that compiled the report.

Victims it documented person ranged from betwixt 8 and 75 years - with galore of them needing aesculapian treatment, but astir hospitals and clinics person been destroyed successful the fighting, the UN said.

RSF spokesperson Nizar Sayed Ahmed told the BBC: “These accusations are mendacious and not based connected evidence.

“To find retired the facts connected the ground, the UN indispensable nonstop a fact-finding squad to Sudan,” helium said.

Ms Karib told the BBC Siha was trying to support successful interaction with the six women who were fearful of the RSF’s beforehand and contemplating taking their ain lives.

She said Siha was giving them intelligence enactment arsenic activists tried to enactment retired however they could determination them to much unafraid locations.

She besides said they were trying to assistance a 13-year-old miss who had been gang-raped by RSF fighters successful Gezira and was successful urgent request of aesculapian care.

The miss was presently connected the roadworthy from her location colony northbound of Ruffa to the municipality of New Halfa, and was bleeding profusely, she said.

Additional reporting from BBC's Anne Soy and BBC Verify's Peter Mwai.

Read Entire Article