Alarming Rise in Forced Disappearances and Human Rights Abuses During Sudan's Conflict

The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to an alarming rise in forced disappearances and human rights violations, particularly against women, facing, conditions, nearly, year, conflict. The conflict, which began in April 2023, has resulted in the deaths of almost 15,000 people and the displacement of over 8 million, making it the world's largest internal displacement crisis.

Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of committing serious violations, including unlawful killings, airstrikes on civilian targets, obstructing humanitarian aid, and widespread sexual violence and pillage. The RSF has also repeatedly attacked and looted aid supplies and infrastructure. Sudanese women have faced sexual assault, rape, forced displacement, and forced labor, with many having to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighboring countries.

The Sudanese civil society group, Missing Initiative, has documented a staggering number of cases of forced disappearances. The SAF has detained over 500 men, predominantly from the Hausa ethnic group, in Blue Nile State, with at least 12 detainees extrajudicially killed and many others tortured. The RSF has also detained children from the Nuba ethnic group in South Kordofan, subjecting them to horrific conditions and abuses, including beatings, burns, electric shocks, and sexual violence.

Why this matters: The scale and corroboration of these abuses across multiple sources indicate a systematic pattern of violations by both the SAF and RSF, exploiting the instability of the conflict to further their military and political goals. The international community has condemned these human rights abuses and called for accountability, but urgent action is needed to halt the ongoing violations and support a transition to democracy in Sudan.

The conflict has also had a devastating, war, second, year, global, response on Sudan's 11 million students, half of whom are girls, who may be forced into child marriage or flee their homes. The humanitarian situation in Sudan has deteriorated significantly, with around 24 million people (half the population) now dependent on aid. Access for humanitarian organizations remains extremely difficult, with insecurity and impassable roads making it nearly impossible to reach the capital Khartoum and other regions.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged world leaders meeting in Paris to hold those responsible for atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law accountable. The international community, including France, Germany, and the European Union, have pledged over €2 billion to address the crisis, million, need, million in Sudan. However, only 6% of the UN's $2.7 billion humanitarian response plan for Sudan is currently funded.

The conflict in Sudan has led to tremendous suffering, with widespread destruction, a severe humanitarian crisis, and grave human rights abuses. The tactics employed by both the SAF and RSF violate international human rights and humanitarian law, including prohibitions on arbitrary detention, torture, and the targeting of civilians based on ethnicity. As Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned, "Extensive war, continued, targeting, human, rights, activist are being committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the ongoing conflict in Sudan." Urgent action is needed to halt the flow of military assistance to the belligerent parties, incorporate civilian voices into the peace process, and set a clear roadmap to civilian governance to reduce the risk of future coups and support a transition to democracy in Sudan.

Key Takeaways

• Conflict in Sudan between SAF and RSF leads to human rights abuses, forced disappearances.
• Conflict has resulted in 15,000 deaths and 8 million displaced, a global crisis.
• Both SAF and RSF accused of killings, sexual violence, and obstructing humanitarian aid.
• Conflict has devastated education, with 11 million students, half of them girls, affected.
• Urgent action needed to halt military assistance, incorporate civilian voices, and support democracy.