A new United Nations report has raised alarm over the escalating use of sexual violence as a deliberate tactic in Sudan’s civil war, describing the pattern as widespread and increasingly systematic amid the country’s prolonged fighting between rival military forces.
Since the outbreak of conflict in 2023 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), investigators say sexual violence has followed displacement routes and front-line areas, affecting civilians caught in shifting zones of control.
The UN has verified 546 separate incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, involving at least 838 victims, the majority of them women and girls. Officials caution that the true scale is likely significantly higher due to stigma, insecurity, and limited reporting access in active conflict zones.
Human rights monitors say the documented cases indicate a disturbing pattern in which sexual violence is being used to intimidate, punish, and displace civilian populations, contributing to widespread fear in affected communities.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the situation as a clear case of sexual violence being deployed as a “weapon of war,” underscoring the severity of abuses reported during the conflict.
The warning comes as international pressure mounts over the worsening security situation in el-Obeid, where the United Kingdom and six European nations have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities amid fears of an imminent RSF offensive.
Sudan’s war has created what humanitarian agencies describe as the world’s most severe displacement and hunger crisis. More than 11 million people have been forced to flee their homes, while an estimated 28 million are facing acute food insecurity.
Aid organisations continue to struggle to reach vulnerable populations as fighting intensifies, with large areas of the country cut off from consistent humanitarian assistance.
The UN says urgent international action is needed to protect civilians and prevent further escalation of violence in a conflict that shows no sign of easing.
