In Sudan’s central Gezira state, multiple women have reportedly taken their own lives following assaults by paramilitary fighters amid a violent civil conflict. Rights groups and activists have confirmed these accounts, highlighting the traumatic impact of the ongoing war.
The reports come as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, faces accusations from the United Nations of committing “atrocious crimes,” including mass killings and sexual violence. The RSF, however, denies these allegations, claiming they are “not evidence-based.”
As RSF forces advance, a rights organization informed the BBC that it remains in contact with six women considering suicide out of fear that they could become victims of sexual violence.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has led to the deaths of tens of thousands and forced over 11 million people from their homes. Cindy McCain, head of the UN World Food Programme, visited Port Sudan this week, warning that the situation could escalate into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis without a ceasefire. She cautioned that millions could face starvation.
Reports of RSF fighters attacking civilians in Gezira come in the wake of a high-ranking RSF commander, Abu Aqla Kayka, defecting to join the army. Hala al-Karib, the head of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (Siha), stated that RSF has launched what appears to be a “revenge campaign” in areas formerly under Kayka’s command, with attacks on civilians resisting their advance.
Siha has documented three suicides in the past week alone, all by women in Gezira. Two of the women were from the village of Al Seriha, and the third from the town of Ruffa. According to Ms. Karib, one woman took her life after RSF soldiers reportedly raped her in front of her father and brother, who were then killed.
Videos circulated online last week appear to show dozens of bodies wrapped in blankets following an alleged RSF massacre in Al Seriha. BBC Verify confirmed the location as outside a local mosque.
Ms. Karib indicated that the evidence of suicides thus far only covers two out of around 50 villages that have reportedly been attacked, suggesting the real number may be higher due to limited mobile communications.
A female activist in Gezira, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said she had verified several cases of women taking their own lives after RSF fighters killed their husbands. She recounted one WhatsApp message from a woman describing how her sister committed suicide following a sexual assault. The RSF had also reportedly killed five of her brothers and uncles in Al Seriha.
While social media reports indicate further mass suicides by women fearing assault, Siha has been unable to verify these claims due to communication challenges.
An 80-page UN report released on Tuesday documents 400 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence as of July 2024, with the actual number likely much higher. According to Mohamed Chande Othman, the UN chair overseeing the report, “the sheer scale of sexual violence we have recorded from Sudan is staggering,” with victims as young as eight and as old as 75.
Many victims require urgent medical attention, yet ongoing conflict has devastated hospitals and clinics across the country, the UN reported.
RSF spokesperson Nizar Sayed Ahmed dismissed the accusations as “false” and urged the UN to send a fact-finding team to investigate.
Siha continues to provide psychological support to the six women currently under threat, working to move them to safer locations. Ms. Karib said they are also assisting a 13-year-old girl who urgently needs medical care after being gang-raped by RSF fighters. The girl is reportedly on her way from a village near Ruffa to New Halfa, and her condition is critical.
