The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to a severe humanitarian crisis that the world can not afford to look away from. Among the most vulnerable are women and girls, with the UN estimating that 4.2 million women are at risk of sexual gender-based violence. Alarming reports of widespread sexual assault, rape, abduction, and kidnapping underscore the gravity of the situation, and yet the global community has largely remained silent in response to these horrors.
The conflict first broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo, often referred to as Hemedti. This conflict emerged following repeated concerns from pro-democracy activists that the tenuous transition to democracy supported by the international community would not succeed.
In 2019, women-led protests resulted in the military ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir, who previously ruled the country for 30 years, carrying out mass killings and war crimes in the ethnically diverse Darfur region in the early 2000s. The women-led protests occurred largely in response to how “women’s bodies and voices have been systematically under attack” under his regime. Strict laws were put in place that criminalized adultery and ‘seduction’ while legalizing child marriages. The al-Bashir regime’s ethnically motivated attempted genocide in Darfur also instrumentalized sexual violence as a weapon of war and to terrorize innocent civilians.
Women’s participation across the political and ethnic spectrum was essential in initiating and sustaining effective protests and sit-ins. The 2019 protests gave rise to powerful visuals and iconography, like that of 22-year-old student Alaa Salah standing in a car in all white, fervently leading protesters in chants for democracy and freedom.
While the protests effectively ended al-Bashir’s reign, they were simultaneously co-opted by a coup during which the military seized power. Calling for a true democratic transition, female activists emphasized the importance of women’s active participation in the process, advocating for an equal share of seats in government. Despite these calls, the transitional government, supported by the international community, was structured around a fragmented security apparatus, marked by significant tensions. Al-Burhan assumed roles as both military leader and head of state, while Hemedti served as council deputy. This arrangement was inherently weak, as neither man wanted to relinquish control of their military power, raising red flags for activists, who argued that the attempted power-sharing in the transition was flawed from the start.
In 2021, activists’ warnings were proven correct when the two men staged a coup against the transitional government. By April of 2023, tensions erupted between al-Burhan and Hemdti. With neither willing to cede control of their respective military wing, fighting broke out in the capital city of Khartoum. The outbreak of conflict illustrates how the international community ignored repeated warnings from civilians that the tenuous relationship between the competing security forces in Sudan was existentially problematic.
It’s been more than six months since the conflict broke out and the impacts on civilians, particularly women and girls, have been devastating. Many factors intersect to magnify women’s vulnerability. As of mid-November, more than 10,000 people have been killed, 1.2 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, and 4.8 million people have been internally displaced, fleeing from violence. By some estimates, 9 in 10 refugees are women or children. They are forced to flee to countries such as Chad and South Sudan, with little to no infrastructure to support them. The UN recently announced that they will soon be forced to cut off even basic food aid for the more than 540,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad due to a shortage of funds.
Additionally, up to 80% of healthcare facilities have been forced to shut down due to the conflict. This has resulted in a dire lack of obstetric care, in a country that already had one of the highest maternal mortality rates, at 295 deaths per 100,000 live births. An estimated 219,000 women were pregnant at the onset of the conflict. These women have virtually no options for emergency maternal healthcare. Rural midwives hoping to support pregnant women lack access to critical supplies, clean water, or electricity. They are also under the constant threat of gunfire and bombings.
Furthermore, the ongoing and atrocious reports of rape, sexual assault, and kidnapping are harrowing. According to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssell “some sources have reported seeing women and girls in chains on pick-up trucks and in cars.” More than 50 incidents of sexual violence have been reported to OHCHR, impacting at least 105 victims. The actual numbers, however, are much, much higher due to the many barriers to reporting sexual violence. Women not only face cultural barriers of shame, stigma, and fear of reprisal but also structural issues, including lack of humanitarian aid and attacks on healthcare facilities. The lack of access to healthcare leads to an inability to receive vital medical support following endemic sexual violence, including receiving rape kits and testing for HIV and other STDs. Horrifically, many instances of sexual violence have mirrored the previous conflict in Darfur, with the targeting and raping of women from marginalized ethnic groups. These reprehensible crimes, despite breaking international law, have garnered little accountability or media coverage.
The brutal tragedies occurring in Sudan demand international aid and attention. The current lack of aid to the region is emblematic of the shameful global neglect of the conflict. Not only are many humanitarian groups falling short of their fundraising goals, but aid can not support those who need it most in Sudan until an effective ceasefire is established with the help of the international community.
Moreover, the global response to this tragedy must be gender-responsive. Recently, the South Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network organized the Feminist Peace and Solidarity Conference, calling for global solidarity with Sudan. Their resulting press statement emphasizes that “sexual and gender-based violence must never be sidelined as a mere peripheral issue. It is central to any political process, including accountability, reparations, and transitional justice”.
The devastating impact that this conflict has had on women and girls cannot be understated. The current international and diplomatic disregard for this issue cannot continue. Immediate support is needed for displaced women and girls in need of maternal and emergency obstetric care health as well as holistic treatment for survivors of sexual violence. A sustained global response would also mean ensuring “the inclusion and meaningful, leading participation of women and women-led organizations in peace processes and negotiations.”
Edited by Susana Baquero
Mia Alexander is in her second year at McGill University, currently pursuing a B.A. Joint Honours in International Development Studies and Political Science. She is particularly interested in gender equality and climate justice.