New accounts are emerging from women who fled the city of Al-Fashir in North Darfur. These reports detail terrifying scenes of abuse and brutality following the city’s capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Survivors describe instances of killings, systematic sexual assault, and the vanishing of children. These atrocities reportedly occurred as the RSF solidified its dominance over the Darfur region during its intense conflict with the Sudanese army.
Sexual Violence Used as a Weapon
The Regional Director for East and Southern Africa for the U.N. women’s division confirmed the gravity of the situation. She warned that sexual violence is now being employed deliberately and systematically as a weapon of war. “Women’s bodies have become a crime scene in Sudan,” she stated. “There are no safe spaces left.”
The situation is equally severe for the population still trapped inside Al-Fashir. Approximately 11 million women and girls are currently facing acute food insecurity. Many risk sexual violence even in the act of searching for wild berries and leaves for sustenance.
Famine and Trapped Civilians
Famine has now been officially declared in Al-Fashir and also in the southern city of Kadugli. The U.N. Human Rights Chief expressed fear regarding ongoing summary executions, rape, and attacks targeting specific ethnic groups.
Since late October, at least 82,000 people have managed to escape Al-Fashir and surrounding areas. However, aid organizations estimate that as many as 200,000 civilians remain trapped inside the besieged city.
The United Nations is now urgently appealing for immediate international intervention. The goal is to halt the violence and prevent the humanitarian crisis from escalating into a greater catastrophe.
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