Africa’s leaders must address weaponisation of rape in Sudan’s conflict

Today, heads of state from various African nations convened in Addis Ababa, holding meetings during the African Union summit to discuss the devastating conflict in Sudan and to formulate strategies aimed at steering the country towards a path of peace and stability. The Sudanese issue continues to be a matter of significant concern for African leaders, demanding immediate and collaborative action.

It is not surprising that the situation in Sudan remains a top agenda item for the African continent. The war has persisted for nearly two years, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of millions, and the country is now grappling with one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. This crisis is constantly escalating, with Sudanese women and girls at the epicenter, facing multiple threats due to the widespread weaponization of rape in the conflict, highlighting the urgent need for protection and support.

I recently returned from Renk town in South Sudan, which is hosting over a million people fleeing the war, including women and girls who have experienced unimaginable violence. I spoke with many of them on the narrow paths between the makeshift tents they call "home," listening to their stories of pain, loss, and shattered dreams, emphasizing the profound impact of the conflict on their lives.

Afrah (a pseudonym) is a fifteen-year-old girl with a profound pain in her young eyes that belies her age. She bravely told me about a dark night in September, a night that forever changed her life. She said that she was alone with her three younger siblings—seven, four, and two years old—in their home in Khartoum. The war was getting closer, and her mother had left to try to raise money to arrange for the family to escape to the south, showcasing the desperation and vulnerability of families caught in the conflict.

They first heard gunshots in the distance, then witnessed armed men breaking into nearby houses, beating and shooting their neighbors. Eventually, two men broke down their door, searched the house, and found Afrah alone with her younger siblings. They pointed guns at her, ordered her siblings to leave, threatening to kill them all if she disobeyed. Then, for nearly two hours, they took turns raping her. She said she tried to remain silent, fearing that if she made too much noise, they might harm her younger brothers, revealing the horrific choices victims face in such situations.

Afrah cleaned herself, checked on her younger siblings, and continued to wait for her mother's return. Hours later, when her mother returned home and saw what the soldiers had done to her neighbors, she was heartbroken. Afrah decided not to tell her about the suffering she had endured, to protect her from further harm, demonstrating the immense burden carried by survivors.

Afrah is just one of the thousands of women and girls in Sudan who have suffered sexual violence at the hands of combatants. In fact, rape has become a common weapon in the Sudanese war. Perpetrators are almost never held accountable, while survivors are left to continue their lives, often in dilapidated refugee camps, with deep physical and psychological trauma, without any meaningful support, underscoring the urgent need for justice and comprehensive care.

The war in Sudan has resulted in the displacement of over 11 million people, including 5.8 million women and girls. Many of them have suffered sexual violence during the war and continue to face severe challenges in their shelters. Even those who have made it to neighboring countries, such as South Sudan and Chad, are unable to find safety and adequate care. They have little money or resources and lack access to adequate healthcare. Few are helping them process and overcome their trauma, highlighting the dire conditions and lack of resources available to displaced women and girls.

For the most part, the only support these women are able to access are the few safe spaces created by non-governmental organizations, where they can share their experiences with each other and receive basic medical care. Women and girls like Afrah, who have experienced the most terrible horrors of the war in Sudan, deserve protection and safety. At today's meeting in Addis Ababa, leaders must put them at the center of discussions and take immediate action to ensure their long-term care and well-being. Caring for survivors is a crucial step in ultimately ending this conflict—only when women and girls like Afrah are safe and cared for can Sudan begin to heal, emphasizing the interconnectedness of healing and peace.

Today, African leaders must move beyond empty rhetoric and take concrete action to protect the women and girls of Sudan. They must pressure the parties to the conflict to respect international law and ensure that all survivors of sexual violence have safe, unfettered access to humanitarian assistance. Those in positions of power have long ignored the vicious weaponization of rape in this conflict. It is time to act. Afrah and the thousands like her are in desperate need of help. We must not ignore their plight, urging immediate and decisive action to address the crisis.