Women in Sudan commit suicide to escape rape amid escalating violence: Report

Women in Sudan have committed suicide to escape being raped by armed militia, as the conflict has increased risks of sexual violence and forced many women and children to flee.

As per the International Organisation for Migration, over 140 lakh people have fled their homes due to widespread hunger, disease, and sexual violence.

The UN independent international fact-finding mission for Sudan has revealed that paramilitary forces are specifically targeting women. Chairman Mohamed Chande Othman underscored the alarming issue of women and girls being abducted for sexual slavery, asserting that there is no safe haven in Sudan, News Central TV reported .

“From the first day of the war, women have faced sexual violence. Support forces and militias have been entering homes in Khartoum, the capital, committing numerous acts of rape and sexual violence, and this continues," said Hala Al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa.

The truth is that sexual violence and rape in Sudan have not happened in isolation. These issues have been present in the country for over 20 years, but they have escalated significantly since the war began, Al-Karib added.

“Our bodies are being used as tools and weapons of war. It is heartbreaking that women in central Sudan are resorting to suicide because they cannot endure the pain of gang rape and torture inflicted by armed militias,” she said.

She also mentioned that various forms of war crimes are being committed by armed militias in Sudan, highlighting the devastating impact of the war on infrastructure and the mass genocide occurring in the country.

“All kinds of violence are being inflicted upon Sudanese civilians, especially women and children, who are suffering the most. Infrastructure has been destroyed, homes have been looted, markets have been completely devastated, and civilians have been killed without reason. Elders and people with disabilities have also been killed and imprisoned. It’s a truly horrific situation,” Al-Karib said.

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