This report delves into the widespread use of rape and other forms of sexual violence as deliberate tactics in the Sudan Civil War, which began in April 2023. These acts are not random occurrences of wartime brutality but are systematically employed to terrorize and dismantle entire communities, particularly non-Arab ethnic groups like the Masalit. Women, girls, and even men are being targeted in their homes, fields, and during displacement, with many subjected to gang rape, forced pregnancies, and sexual slavery. Reports from NGOs estimate the true number of sexual violence cases to be in the thousands, with survivors often left with devastating physical and psychological trauma. The scale and intensity of these atrocities make it clear that sexual violence is being used not only as a weapon of war but as a tool for the ethnic cleansing of marginalized groups in Sudan.
The ethnically targeted rape must be recognized as a form of genocide since it violates the Genocide Convention, Article II (b) (Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group), (c) (Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part), and (d) (Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group).
Despite the enormity of these crimes, international legal systems have largely failed to prosecute the perpetrators or provide justice for the victims. This report seeks to uncover the reasons behind the lack of accountability, tracing the legal gaps that allow war criminals to escape punishment. The international community has been slow to respond, with insufficient mechanisms in place to prevent or punish the use of rape as a genocidal strategy. By shedding light on these failures, this report aims to contribute to the growing demand for stronger legal frameworks, better protection for vulnerable populations, and a more robust response from global institutions to prevent such atrocities from continuing unchecked.
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