Anonymous, 22, whose story is told at the beginning of the article.
Via Al Jazeera

Chloe Bercovitz

News Editor

This story contains descriptions of sexual violence and self harm. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Abducted from her home as she was studying for her exams, anonymous, 22, told Al Jazeera in an interview that “if they had killed me, it would have been better.” She never saw her family again; taken to a remote village and gang raped, her story is one of thousands. 

A civil war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group, broke out in April 2023. While the present conflict may be recent, political turmoil has been persistent since the nation’s independence in 1956.

Sudan saw the same president for 30 years, Omar al-Bashir, until the coup d’état in 2019. Citizens hoped for a democracy to come forth. A joint civilian-military government was established, however, it too, was overthrown; the two men responsible for the coup are at the core of the current conflict.

According to Munzoul Assal, professor of social anthropology at the University of Khartoum, “the Sudanese people wanted a transition fully led by civilians but were let down by an international community pushing for a power sharing agreement that was doomed to fail.” The international community, namely the AU, UN, and Troika (US, UK, Norway), pushed for Sudan’s military involvement in government: these same individuals conducted the coup. Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces, and the deputy, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo began to rule together. However, when they began to disagree, their fragile alliance collapsed into open warfare.

The international community set Sudan up for failure.

The United Nations has declared that this is the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis; one of the largest of the twenty-first century.

“Over twelve million have been forcibly displaced, 24.6 million face acute hunger, and over 150,000 people have died. “

As the men fight, it is women and children who suffer quietly the toll of a conflict that has stolen their futures. 

Imagine carrying your children in your arms for days on end to escape gunfire, unable to return to your home which now lies in ruins. If you try to flee you risk being attacked, abducted, or forced into labour. 

Women are raped in front of their families. Girls become pregnant. Boys are taken and sent into battle.

A thirty-year-old mother of three was raped in front of her kids. Once the soldiers left her home she slit her writs and bled to death. Her youngest was four years old at the time.

Another woman, Rita, was married for less than a year before being abducted. She was gang raped and her face was mutilated; Rita was thrown into a river. Her family found her days later.

Similarly, aid workers are targets for kidnapping and assault. Armed groups assume their organizations can provide ransom, leading to repeated assaults and detentions. Many of those affected are Sudanese women who continue distributing food and water despite these risks. They are the cornerstone of their communities, keeping them alive while receiving nothing in return. 

Sudanese women likewise lead the humanitarian response through their creation of safe spaces. Though deprived of resources, they continue to shoulder the work of survival. Such grassroots initiatives are what keep children learning. Thirteen million children in Sudan are out of school, their futures quietly being pried out of their hands.

Furthermore, support for survivors is sorely lacking. For those who have borne sexual violence, in Tawila, North Darfur, there is only one Doctors Without Borders with the capacity to provide medical care.

Shaza, a doctor, told More to Her Story how the paramilitary group invaded her town in demand of those that had the ability to treat their soldiers – either forcing their help or abducting them. She fled to Al Jazeera state. Regardless, the brutality continued. At a Sufi Shrine, a refuge, RSF members perpetrated mass gang rapes, claiming the lives of many. “They thought they’d be safe there,” Shaza finished, trembling.“Silence is not neutrality. Silence gives a blank cheque for horror to continue.” says Reena Ghelani, CEO of Plan International. Only a quarter of what is needed in humanitarian aid has been received. War crimes remain uninvestigated. It is only when foreign actors intervene that the Sudanese can live a life of dignity, which is a possibility that will never be within reach as long as the world stands by as military groups wield control.

“For now, such scraps of dignity are upheld by the women who, unflagging in their efforts, keep Sudan alive.”