‘They told me to kill me if they threatened rape,’ says Sudan war survivor

The war, a conflict between two generals respectively in command of the official army and paramilitary forces, has caused thousands of deaths since April 2023 and the displacement of more than 11 million, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

UNFPA cited Al Jazira’s Health Minister, who mentioned preliminary reports of 27 women, aged 6 to 60, who were raped or assaulted in the state.

“The cases are a small part of the widespread sexual violence in the region,” said a statement from the agency.

One of the stories told by the agency talks about a woman who was spotted by criminals when leaving her house to look for food.

“Two soldiers came to check who was still living there. They knocked on my door and asked if there was anyone else with me. Afraid, I said I was alone. They seemed to be looking for warriors, so they left,” she said.

The woman, whose real name was not disclosed, said that the two later returned to commit sexual violence for days, leaving her at gunpoint. “They pointed a gun at me. They told me not to scream or say anything”, he remembers. She fled the country with the help of a friend and never told her family about the abuse.