Rampant Sexual Violence in Sudan: A Daily Reality Amidst Conflict

Tue Mar 31 2026 09:44:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Médecins Sans Frontières report reveals that sexual violence is pervasive in Sudan, affecting communities even far from active fighting.

A recent report by Médecins Sans Frontières has revealed that sexual violence has become an everyday occurrence for many Sudanese, especially in the Darfur region. The charity's findings indicate that for communities away from direct conflict, acts of rape and brutality remain insidiously embedded in daily life. Armed men, primarily from the Rapid Support Forces, are reportedly responsible for a majority of these assaults.

Rape and sexual violence remain part of everyday life in areas of Sudan even when fighting in the country's civil war has moved elsewhere, according to a new report by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Calling rape a defining feature of the conflict, it says sexual assault is overwhelmingly carried out by armed men and is often accompanied by acts of brutality and humiliation. However, MSF asserts that rape persists as an insidious part of life for communities in the western region of Darfur that are no longer on the front line.

The report, the most comprehensive account yet on sexual violence in Sudan's nearly three-year war, is based on testimonies from 3,396 victims who sought treatment in MSF-supported facilities across North and South Darfur between January 2024 and November 2025.

Both the Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of sexual violence, with Darfur being a stronghold for the RSF. It’s reported that the majority of perpetrators identified by survivors were RSF fighters. Many incidents occurred in North Darfur during the RSF's takeover of displaced persons camps and el-Fasher city, which MSF describes as one of the most shocking iterations, unfolding the most unimaginable brutality.

More than 90% of the victims treated were assaulted while attempting to move to safety from places like Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps to Tawila.

The report highlights that the attacks often involved multiple rapists and were accompanied by extreme forms of violence such as beatings and intimidation. Testimonies from survivors reveal harrowing experiences, with one stating, Apart from the rapes, they beat us with sticks and pointed guns at my head. Another girl... was raped by three men. We were raped throughout the night. Ethnic targeting is also reported, with non-Arab communities being systematically attacked.

MSF emphasizes that its data likely represents only a small fraction of the true scale of sexual violence occurring, as barriers to accessing care include ongoing insecurity, stigma, and the lack of protection services. The organization calls for urgent action and accountability regarding these atrocities, stressing that sexual violence persists as a severe challenge even in relative peace.