A United Nations human rights report has documented what it describes as the widespread and systematic use of conflict-related sexual violence throughout Sudan’s ongoing war, alleging that such abuses have accompanied the expansion of fighting since the conflict erupted in April 2023 and have been used to terrorize civilians across the country.
The report, issued in Geneva on June 23 by the UN Human Rights Office, details hundreds of verified incidents of sexual violence committed during the conflict and warns that the long-term consequences for victims, families, and communities could undermine peace and social cohesion in Sudan for years to come.
According to the report, sexual violence has occurred alongside the geographic spread of the conflict and during displacement journeys undertaken by civilians fleeing violence. The UN stated that the abuses have been employed consistently as a tactic of war, contributing to widespread trauma among affected populations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said sexual violence was being used as a weapon of war and stressed that such acts constitute war crimes. He further stated that if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians, they may amount to crimes against humanity.
The report found reasonable grounds to believe that some acts of sexual violence committed in the Darfur region, within the context of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians, may constitute crimes against humanity.
Investigators verified 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence across 16 of Sudan’s 18 states between the start of the conflict and mid-April 2026. The documented cases involved at least 838 victims, including 539 women, 284 girls, eight men, and seven boys. The report emphasized that the figures likely represent only a fraction of the true scale of the violence, citing persistent underreporting.
Most verified incidents were attributed to men wearing uniforms of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with affiliated groups and Arab militias. The report also attributed incidents to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), affiliated security actors, Joint Forces, other armed movements, and armed militias.
According to the findings, sexual violence has frequently occurred during coordinated attacks on civilian populations. Documented abuses include rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced prostitution, sexual torture, and trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Nearly one-quarter of verified incidents involved gang rape. In one documented case, at least ten perpetrators allegedly raped a girl. Investigators also identified recurring patterns involving abductions linked to sexual violence, the use of sexual slavery, violence in detention facilities, and sexual violence used to control civilian movement. The UN Human Rights Office documented at least 85 cases in which women and girls were allegedly held in sexual slavery and compelled to perform domestic labor or generate income.
The report further documented the deaths of at least 13 victims, including women, men, and children, many following severe gang rapes. The youngest victim whose death was recorded was nine years old. Investigators said numerous survivors suffered serious medical complications, worsened by the collapse or absence of functioning healthcare facilities. At least 59 women and girls became pregnant or gave birth as a result of rape, according to the report.
The findings also indicate that some acts of sexual violence were carried out in retaliation for perceived affiliations with parties to the conflict and as part of ethnically motivated attacks. Ethnic Masalit victims from West Darfur reported being questioned about their tribal identity before being assaulted, with investigators documenting allegations that attackers made threats referencing their ethnicity.
Türk called for timely, independent, and impartial investigations into allegations of sexual violence committed during the conflict, stressing the need for accountability. He warned that continued impunity was deepening harm and reinforcing cycles of abuse. The report urges all parties to the conflict to take concrete and verifiable measures to prevent sexual violence and calls on the international community to ensure that justice and accountability remain central to efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and resolving the conflict.
