April 23, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – The international community involved in Sudan bears a responsibility to ensure that both international humanitarian law and human rights laws are being followed, an advocacy group recommended in a report.

Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), in a report, entitled The Aftermath of Rape: Unwanted Pregnancies and Abandoned Children, noted that rape and gang rape are among the most horrific atrocities being perpetrated as part of the war in Sudan, which has been ongoing for over a year.

The violations have expanded from Khartoum, West and South Darfur, to include the Al-Gezira region, north and east of Sennar, South Kordofan and North Darfur.

The organization stressed the need for collaborative advocacy efforts, by putting pressure on the warring parties, particularly the Rapid Support Forces and the militias, to establish safe travel routes for civilians, particularly women and children.

It said sexual violence is considered a war crime and a crime against humanity, being used as part of a genocidal campaign against marginalized ethnic identities in Darfur. The impacts of the sexual violence being systematically perpetrated in this war are not limited to women and girls alone, but also affect men and boys, families, communities, and future generations of Sudanese people.

Since the outset of the war, SIHA said it has been monitoring patterns of sexual violence, including cases of abduction and sexual slavery. The high prevalence of rape combined with increased barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights has led to an increasing number of forced and unwanted pregnancies over the past year.

Of the 244 cases of sexual violence that have been documented and monitored, the women-led organization said it identified 14 cases of unwanted pregnancies.

However, we believe these numbers are just a small fraction of the figures, it noted.

Due to dangerous travel routes, poor internet and cellular networks, and the overall instability caused by the war, obtaining information about sexual violence cases in Sudan poses significant challenges for activists and service providers.

According to SIHA, the prevalence of unwanted pregnancies is significantly exacerbated by the lack of access to health facilities and subsequent inability to receive the rape protocol within the designated time frame of 72 hours.

Some health facilities, it stressed, are unable to provide rape protocols to patients.

At least 7 cases of suicide resulting from unwanted pregnancy were documented.

The report gives testimonies from survivors of sexual violence, many of who suffered from social stigma and lack of acceptance, which may force them to flee to border areas or even leave the country with minimal or no resources.

“I found out I was pregnant in the fourth month after being displaced twice. I’m currently in the seventh month, and I hope things go smoothly, but I don’t know what will happen in the future”, 19-year-old survivor was quoted in the report.

Another survivor was separated quoted saying, “I was raped by five members of the Rapid Support Forces in the town of Geneina. After that, we were displaced, and when I reached the camp, I realized I was pregnant. Due to complications, I had to go to the hospital and have an abortion. Thankfully, I’m doing better now.”

All too often, survivors of sexual violence are blamed, crimes are denied, and the survivor’s situation is neglected within Sudan’s social, legal, and political systems that lack the awareness and the capacity to address this complex human crisis.

Meawhile, SHIA said it is also crucial to allow international actors and civil society to establish observatory bodies to supervise these safe travel routes and ensure that civilians, particularly women and children, can safely leave conflict zones.

The organization further said international donors should support and fund clinics and one-stop centers in collaboration with civil society organizations and specialized entities in safe states to enable an immediate medical response to each case of sexual violence and provision of psychological care and services.

(ST)