Women in Sudan suffer from a lack of health follow-up after rape (Al Jazeera)

Khartoum -

“I wish I could forget that day, I wish I was dead before I saw what happened.” With these words, a young woman in her twenties begins her talk about the day when about 6 members of the Rapid Support Forces stormed her home, in Khartoum Bahri, north of the Sudanese capital, under the pretext of searching for her. Weapons, and when they found nothing they decided not to leave without achieving.

Aziza - a pseudonym - from her exile in one of the African capitals, told Al Jazeera Net that two officers - some of whom were in civilian clothes - forcefully pulled her into one of the rooms, so she lost consciousness from extreme fear, and she does not know how long she stayed, but she woke up and found herself covered in blood. .

Aziza added that she was not the only one who was raped. During her trip outside Sudan, she met and other girls who faced the same tragedy in different areas of Khartoum, where a fierce war began between the army and the Rapid Support in mid-April.

Hala Al-Karib confirms that 180 cases of rape of women were documented by Rapid Support (social networking sites)

Silence and fear

Aziza recounts how members of the Rapid Support Forces returned to her home, threatened to kill her if she talked about being assaulted, and hinted that they would return to her soon, so she left with the help of a number of female activists who took her to an African country to receive psychological and medical assistance.

Many feminist and human rights organizations document cases of sexual violence, especially in the states of Khartoum, Darfur, and Al-Jazira, which were most affected by the fighting that has continued for months. But everyone faced the dilemma of definitive numbers on the number of cases, due to the silence of the victims and their fear of stigma, and poor communication networks prevented follow-up with survivors.

Hala Al-Karib, regional director of the Women's Network of the Horn of Africa (Sayha), confirms that the information available about crimes of sexual violence is very scarce compared to what was committed on the ground. She explains that the majority of victims remain silent for months, and perhaps years, before telling the facts, while others are forced to go into detail if a pregnancy occurs.

She added to Al Jazeera Net, "180 cases were documented, but there were others that we could not follow up on due to movement and war. Some victims declined to speak, and they cannot be forced to do so."

Al-Karib spoke about the continuation of crimes of sexual violence, and that they usually occur at the beginning of the “invasion” and are linked to looting and theft. She said that they “occur regularly as a result of the presence of the Rapid Support Forces in the same areas where circumstances force dozens of women to remain, and they are always vulnerable to crimes.”

She stresses that sexual violence represents a “war strategy” that the RSF has been following for 20 years, and it is the same one that was used in Darfur “as a permitted and available mechanism within the militia structure, where women’s bodies are used for entertainment, intimidation, and displacement.”

International ban

International humanitarian law prohibits parties to an armed conflict from intentionally harming civilians. Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international humanitarian law prohibits rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Rape and other forms of sexual violence committed in the context of an armed conflict can constitute a form of torture and a war crime, and if part of a widespread or systematic attack by a government or armed group, can constitute crimes against humanity.

Months after the start of violent fighting in West Darfur, Human Rights Watch revealed that it had documented 78 victims of rape that occurred between April 24 and June 26 at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces.

The organization stated - in its report - that on August 11, it sent a summary of the results by e-mail to the Rapid Support Commander, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”, for comment, but it did not receive a response.

In early August, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, called for preventing and responding to sexual violence. Then, Lieutenant General Abdul Rahim Dagalo, Deputy Commander of Rapid Support, acknowledged the seriousness of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict.

The forces issued a statement confirming their “full cooperation with the United Nations in investigating any allegations of human rights violations.”

Last September, the United Nations Human Rights Council supported the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to independently investigate and preserve evidence related to grave violations in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights attributed 70% of confirmed incidents of sexual violence to fighters wearing the uniform of the Rapid Support Forces, and in one incident, a fighter wearing the uniform of the army was accused of committing it.

Unsupported victims

The head of the Sudanese government unit to combat violence against women, Salima Ishaq, says that the existing cases, especially those related to home invasions, enforced disappearance, or sexual slavery, were all - according to survivors - committed by people wearing the Rapid Support uniform.

She continued, in a statement last January, “The total number of cases registered with us is 136 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, which actually does not represent more than 2%, and there are many undocumented cases, because the method of reporting is difficult in light of the interruption of communication or the deterioration of communication.” The security situation is the same, and most cases may not reach health facilities or be reported.”

Hala Al-Karib confirms the weakness of the aid provided to rape victims, especially since the crimes occur in locations controlled by Rapid Support, where services in hospitals and centers are limited, and are carried out with extreme caution. Also, the medications that should be used are not available regularly.

She added, "The lack of security weakens aid unless the victim is able to leave and reach an area with good medical care." She added, "We are trying to talk with the international community to establish an integrated service center dedicated to survivors of sexual violence crimes. Sudan needs a safe hospital for victims, especially since there are cases that require special surgical intervention."

Al-Karib is convinced that the cycle of sexual violence has expanded with the entry of rapid support into the state of Al-Jazira in mid-December, and widespread hunger has expanded the sexual exploitation of many girls, including girls, without their voices being heard. She says, “We cannot determine confirmed numbers because of the presence of the militia in these areas.” .

The presence of the Rapid Support Forces in the state of Al-Jazeera and the city of Wad Madani led to “many women and girls being exposed to sexual violence,” according to testimonies of people fleeing the city who spoke to Al-Jazeera Net, confirming that the “invading” forces targeted homes to loot and steal in a systematic manner, and this was accompanied by attacks on many families who tried to resist. .

On December 19, the Al-Hasahisa District Emergency Room reported that it had received 6 women who had been subjected to sexual assaults by these forces in the city of Rifa’a.

A report by the “Sayha” network documented a report on the same date from a family in Wad Madani whose home was raided and two young women (19) and (24) years old were assaulted. When the father and brother (12 years old) resisted, they were both killed, and the two young women were raped, then the mother and her two daughters were able to Flee to northern Sudan.

He also documented about 25 cases of sexual assault in various areas of Al-Jazira State, and a Medani doctor was quoted as saying that he was finding it difficult to respond to the calls of women and girls who reported being raped in the Maringan area, southeast of the city, due to the security situation and the obstruction of the movement by the Rapid Support Forces.

Source: Al Jazeera