Is it possible to eliminate violence against women if the international community has wilfully and deliberately refused to take a tough stance against sexual violence in conflict zones?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, these figures are a vast underrepresentation of the reality due to significant challenges of obtaining information caused by the war including dangerous travel routes, poor internet and mobile networks, and overall instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sexual violence has been pervasive throughout the history of conflicts in many parts of the world. The international community such as the UN, African Union and civil society have played a significant role in condemning sexual violations, heralding bold interventions that would enhance accountability for perpetrators and reparations for victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 19, 2008 is a date that has been anchored in the annals of history for it is the day that the UN Security Council condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding. Each year the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, a global effort to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence and to honour the victims and survivors of such violence around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the significance of this day, however, conflict is increasing, and so does the risk of CRSV. For instance, according to the UN Secretary General\u2019s report, there were more than 600 million women and girls living in conflict-affected areas in 2022, an increase of 50 per cent over the previous five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sexual violence in Sudan is systematically employed as a weapon of war. It amounts to a genocidal campaign against the marginalised and vulnerable ethnic communities especially in Darfur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this region, which has been plagued by the same crimes and atrocities that happened two decades ago, thus perpetuating a cycle of violence, mass rapes are being reported. According to a special report by Reuters, Sudanese women from the Masalit tribe describe being sexually assaulted at gunpoint by the RSF and the Arab militias during attacks in the city of El Genina in West Darfur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eleven women interviewed by Reuters reported that men who attacked them wore either RSF military uniforms, or robes and turbans commonly worn by Arab militiamen. In addition, these accounts were corroborated by reports of rape by international organisations that pointed out specific targeting of Masalit women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another case, a 19-year-old girl told Reuters that as she was fleeing to Chad after witnessing her mother fall dead in the street after being hit by a sniper fire, four armed men in RSF uniform took her to a room on her own where they took turns raping her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The high prevalence of sexual violence has led to a high number of forced and unwanted pregnancies due to lack of access to health facilities and service providers. Local women human rights defenders have also been subjected to rape and sexual violence to punish and terrorise them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The escalating ethnically motivated violence in El-Fasher, North Darfur region, has reignited fears of possible genocide following the bloody conflict that gained global attention in 2003. The UN estimated that around 300,000 non-Arab Darfuri civilians lost their lives during that time at the hands of the Arab-dominated Sudanese government and Janjaweed militia (a precursor to the RSF). Despite widespread condemnation of the Darfur genocide, accountability for those responsible remains elusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The situation is catastrophic. With the institutional failure throughout the country, survivors are unable to seek justice. Their desperate situation is further exacerbated by social stigma, ostracism and acute scarcity of medical and psychological care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SIHA Network, a coalition of activists addressing women\u2019s subordination and violence against women and girls in the Horn of Africa. has appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute members of the RSF for their alleged widespread sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls throughout this conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The international community must recognise the gravity of sexual violence in Sudan and hold perpetrators accountable. Legal mechanisms, including the ICC, must play a crucial role in addressing these crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The high levels of SGBV cases in Sudan are a serious impediment to the global goal of gender equality. Is it possible to eliminate violence against women if the international community has wilfully and deliberately refused to take a tough stance against sexual violence in conflict zones?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If respect for territorial integrity of a nation and non-interference in \u2018internal\u2019 matters override the need to condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, then gender equality is a distant goal that may not be realised globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict much more international attention must be paid to sexual violence particularly rape as a war crime, crime against humanity, and an act of genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read the\u00a0<\/a> original article\u00a0<\/a>on\u00a0 Africa Briefing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nJanet Sankale is with Africans for the Horn of Africa Initiative in Nairobi<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, Janet Sankale highlights the dire plight of Sudanese women, who face rampant sexual violence amidst the ongoing civil war. This op-ed underscores the urgent need for global action to address gender-based violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors. AFRICA BRIEFING A SURGE of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","iawp_total_views":49,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion-analysis","category-sudan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
More accountability for sexual violence in Sudan needed now - Africans For the Horn of Africa<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n