Sudanese Protest Against Rape of Women Protesters

December 23, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Human rights and women groups as well as Resistance Committees organized mass demonstrations in Khartoum and Omdurman to protest against the use of rape as a weapon against female demonstrators on December 19.

The Director of Sudan’s Combating Violence against Women Unit (CVAW), Selima Khalifa Ishaqsaid earlier that they had evidence that eight women had been raped by the security forces after their arrest for participation in the anti-coup demonstration.

Thousands of women and men participated in demonstrations organized in solidarity with the raped women in Omdurman, Khartoum and Khartoum North where the protesters chanted slogans against the rape and sexual violence by the security forces and the police.

Also, they called for an investigation into the use of sexual violence as a weapon to dissuade women from participating in the pro-democracy protests.

47 group, including the spearhead the anti-coup protests Resistance Committees, Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), No to Women’s Oppression Network, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, and Darfur Lawyers Association submitted a memorandum to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Khartoum

The memo said that one of the rape survivors, a 10-year-old girl, was raped by at least 10 men dressed in official security forces uniforms.

The Sudanese civil and military did not announce an investigation into this violence which recalled many people the mass rape crimes in Darfur committed by the government militias during the counterinsurgency campaign.

In a joint statement denouncing the use of sexual and gender-based violence against protesters, Canada, the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States urged the government to bring the culprits before justice.

“We urge the authorities to carry out a full and independent investigation into these allegations of violence and ensure perpetrators are held accountable regardless of their affiliation,” reads the joint statement.

Also, Kambou Fofana, Acting UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa on Thursday said they were closely following “harrowing reports” of rape of women and girls during the protests in Khartoum earlier this week.

He further called the Sudanese authorities to children from all forms of violence and harm including during conflict and political events.

On October 25, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Sudanese army commander in chief dissolved the transitional government and declared the state of emergency in the country.

Since over 47 protesters were killed, nearly one thousand were wounded and many activists are still in jail, despite the reinstatement of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

(ST)