Rédaction Africa Links 24 with SudanTribune
Published on 2024-03-11 19:36:35
The virtual symposium on International Women’s Day held on March 11, 2024, shed light on the alarming trend of kidnapped women being killed in Sudan. Hala Al-Karib, the head of the Women’s Network of the Horn of Africa (SIHA), expressed deep concerns about enforced disappearances during wartime, with a particular focus on the impact on women and girls.
During the symposium, Al-Karib accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of engaging in widespread kidnapping, killings, and looting. She emphasized the need for transparency regarding war crimes, citing documented evidence that implicated the RSF and the Sudanese army in the abductions and killings of women and girls. Al-Karib shared a personal story of her family’s traumatic experience with the RSF raiding their home, where young girls were kidnapped, and family members were threatened and beaten. She highlighted how social stigma often silences the victims of such atrocities.
International human rights reports corroborated Al-Karib’s claims, detailing various human rights violations committed by RSF fighters, including murder, sexual violence, and theft. In response to these accusations, the RSF announced the formation of a new unit to combat negative actions but provided no information about ongoing investigations or convictions related to the alleged crimes.
Fatima Lagawa, representing the RSF, vehemently denied all accusations, labeling them as unsubstantiated attempts to discredit the force. She insinuated political motives behind the claims and demanded concrete evidence before assigning blame. However, Lagawa did agree to the formation of an impartial committee to investigate the violations and hold accountable any RSF soldiers found guilty.
Maram Mohammed, a representative from the Bahri Emergency Room, revealed a grim reality of documented cases of violence against women and children representing only a fraction of the actual incidents. She described how women were forced into labor for cleaning and washing and subjected to horrific acts like repeated sexual assault throughout the day, forced marriages of adults and minors, and sexual slavery. Mohammed also highlighted how forced disappearances often resulted in pregnancies for underage victims, leading to tragic outcomes such as death during childbirth or severe psychological trauma.
International constitutional law expert Zahal Muhammad Al-Amin emphasized the legal implications of these crimes, stating that the widespread and systematic targeting of women and girls for security or ethnic reasons constitutes an international crime against humanity. He warned that such actions could potentially lead to the prosecution of the Sudanese state by the International Criminal Court due to the gravity of the offenses.
Osman Al-Basri, a member of the Sudanese Group for Victims of Enforced Disappearances, shared concerning statistics, pointing out that official figures for enforced disappearances were likely inaccurate due to reporting difficulties and communication disruptions. Basri’s group documented 96 missing women as of January, with an additional 24 unreported cases. He shared disturbing details of young women being held captive for extended periods, minors being forced into marriage, and other harrowing incidents.
Isaaf bin Khalifa, representing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan, echoed the concerns raised by other speakers, confirming reports of abuses committed by the RSF against women. Khalifa expressed deep apprehension about the rising number of enforced disappearance allegations and emphasized that violations by non-state actors, if widespread and systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity.
Overall, the symposium highlighted the urgent need for action to address the grave violations being perpetrated against women and girls in Sudan, calling for accountability, justice, and protection for the victims of such atrocities.
Read the original article on Sudan Tribune
