Breaking the Silence
Sudanese Women Confront Rape and Violence in Conflict
A Forgotten Crisis
A forgotten crisis is unfolding in the dusty borderlands of Chad, where the arid landscape stretches for miles. Every week, thousands of women, having survived the brutal ravages of conflict in Sudan, cross into the neighboring countries, driven not only by the horrors of conflict but also by the sexual violence that has become a weapon of conflict.
Sudan's ongoing conflict, ignited by power struggles and ethnic tensions, has devolved into a nightmare for many civilians, particularly women. Women and girls are subjected to sexual violence at alarming rates. Perpetrators use rape strategically to terrorize, humiliate, and displace entire communities. They leave survivors of these attacks with physical and psychological scars, often forcing them to seek refuge in the uncertain safety of refugee camps across the border.
For many women fleeing Sudan, the decision to leave everything behind is not merely a matter of survival; it is a desperate bid to escape a cycle of violence that has only worsened as the conflict escalates.
In Adré, Chad, Samira*, a 45-year-old Sudanese woman is now living in a refugee settlement. Her makeshift home is small, just big enough for a bed made of sticks and pieces of clothing.
"I was severely beaten," Samira recalls as she sits down and remembers the night soldiers stormed her home in Al Fasher [Sudan]. "They attacked us because I was a businesswoman. I imported cars from Benin, and my house was the first one targeted." Samira’s story is tragically familiar. She explained that armed groups often single out women who have economic independence or belong to specific ethnic groups in regions like Darfur and North Kordofan.
Samira, who had lived a relatively comfortable life before the conflict, suddenly found herself caught in the crossfire that saw her home ransacked, her family displaced and her safety shattered. " I was severely tortured," she said. "I have eight sons and one daughter. I hid them in a neighbor's house. They are from a different tribe."
After enduring torture, she was evacuated by neighbors to Nyala, a city in South-West Sudan, for medical treatment, only to find that the situation there was just as dire.
Eventually, she made her way to Chad, where she now resides in a refugee camp, but the trauma of the violence she experienced continues to haunt her.
*Names changed to protect the identity of the survivors.
"I was in Nyala for treatment, but it was too dangerous," Samira explained.
"My family and I had no choice but to leave [Sudan]."
Sexual Violence as a Weapon of Conflict
The use of sexual violence in the Sudanese conflict is not incidental; it is a deliberate tactic employed by armed groups. Rape and sexual assault are carried out with impunity, often in public settings, to send a message of domination and control. According to UNFPA, “An estimated 6.7 million people are at risk of gender-based violence in Sudan, with displaced, refugee and migrant women and girls particularly vulnerable.” Women are not just casualties of war; they are the means through which fear and terror are instilled in their communities.
"Sexual violence has been widely used to terrorise women and girls," said Elena Kloppmann, Senior Program Officer with World Vision Chad, who has met extensively with survivors of sexual violence in the region. "No woman is safe. If a woman hasn’t experienced the violence themselves, they have at least witnessed it. Women are targeted not only for their ethnic identity but also for their perceived role in society as mothers, sisters, and daughters."
Many of the women who fled Sudan after experiencing sexual violence have found themselves pregnant and in need of urgent pre natal care when arriving at the camps.