Africa’s leaders must address weaponisation of rape in Sudan’s conflict
Al JazeeraFEB 3
UN: Sudan Facing Sexual Assault of Children Amid Armed Conflict
Above: A girl behind a gate in a camp for internally displaced people in Port Sudan, Sudan, on Oct. 30, 2024. Image copyright: Eduardo Soteras/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Sexual violence in Sudan is being systematically deployed as a weapon of war, with the majority of documented cases being perpetrated by the RSF and allied Arab militias in a pattern of using rape to terrorize civilians and suppress opposition to their advances. With the ongoing conflict creating conditions that have increased vulnerability to sexual violence, the parties to the conflict must take steps to protect children and end gender-based violence.
Narrative B
Even if both sides have committed abuses in the war, the RSF is responsible for some of the most heinous atrocities being committed in Sudan. Hopefully, the armed forces will make territorial gains, end the war in the coming days, and lead the country back to democracy. However, the raging systematic violence will not cease until the US and UK publicly condemn the UAE's role in fueling the Sudanese war for political and economic hegemony.