I will never forget the teacher who negotiated to be gang-raped instead of her daughter. These war crimes against women must be addressed Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has been a deliberate tactic used by regimes and insurgents in Sudan for over 25 years to seize land, displace populations, and silence communities. Since April 2023, the RSF and its allies have perpetrated widespread sexual assaults, with survivors often facing blame and shame from their own communities, further compounded by fractured judicial and health systems. Despite international sanctions on some actors, perpetrators of CRSV remain largely unpunished, and support for survivors is critically underfunded, deepening the crisis.

• Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has been systematically used in Sudan for over two decades by various regimes and insurgents.
• Perpetrators utilize sexual violence to achieve objectives such as land seizure, forced displacement, resource extraction, and silencing dissent.
• Since April 2023, the RSF and its allies have escalated CRSV against women and girls in multiple regions of Sudan.
• Survivors often face community blame, shame, and criminalization by authorities, exacerbating their suffering.
• Many women and children endure prolonged captivity as sexual slaves, and some resort to self-harm or die due to untreated injuries.
• Fractured judicial and health systems, coupled with inadequate support, leave survivors without access to justice or essential care.
• The deep-rooted nature of CRSV in Sudan is linked to the state’s violent and discriminatory character and the unchecked flow of arms.
• Despite international sanctions, specific accountability for perpetrators of CRSV is lacking, and funding for survivors remains inadequate.
• Addressing sexual violence must be central to the broader struggle for peace, justice, and a new vision of sovereignty in Sudan.