November 9th: The Echo Of Tabit Incident In El Jazeera: The Cost of Impunity for Sexual Violence in Darfur is Taking Toll on El Jazeera

With the recent anniversary of the Tabit Mass rape incident, another shocking incident of horrifying rape in El Jezeera has forced women into mass suicide. The warring parties must be held Accountable.

October 30th of last week marks ten years which have passed since the tragic Tabit rape incident, yet harrowing levels of sexual violence continue to devastate communities in Sudan. Beginning on October 30, 2014, and lasting for 36 hours, Sudanese army troops conducted house-to-house raids, falsely accusing residents of harboring or killing a missing soldier. They beat men, detained or expelled them, and then proceeded to brutally rape 221 women and girls in their own homes- many of whom were elementary and high school students, subjected to assault by multiple perpetrators. Even after ten years, there has still been no justice for the victims of sexual violence. Instead, rape and other forms of sexual violence continue to be used as systematic weapons of terror to strip dignity, silence voices, and destroy communities.

On October 26th, 130 women recently committed mass suicide to escape the RSF’s brutal campaign of sexual violence. The physical, emotional, social, and psychological scars borne by survivors are despicable and unprecedented and must be urgently addressed. While RSF forces are responsible for the majority of these abuses, reports indicate that some incidents involving the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) also occur in areas under their control. However, most of the mass rape and the systematic targeting against women have been deliberately carried out by RSF fighters across the Sudan. This unchecked cycle of violence demonstrates a disregard for international law, with acts constituting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Women and girls, who account for over half of Sudan’s refugee population, continue to be dehumanized. The UN has reported mass rapes and instances of sexual slavery committed by both warring factions. An estimated 6.7 million people in Sudan are at risk of gender-based violence, with displaced women and girls facing extreme vulnerability. In parts of West Darfur, the UN reported sexual attacks being accompanied by racial slurs targeting non-Arabs, indicating ethnic targeting. In Khartoum and neighboring cities, RSF forces are forcing child marriages and detaining women and girls in conditions that may constitute sexual slavery. Men and boys are also increasingly subjected to sexual violence- no one in Sudan is safe from sexual brutality.

At DWAG we are extremely outraged by the mass rape, suicide, and deliberate targeting of women with extreme violence especially the weaponization of rape that continues to devastate lives in Darfur and across Sudan. We therefore urgently call on the international community:

• The U.S. and the UNSC to authorize forces to protect civilians in Darfur and across the Sudan
• Impose accountability measures for past and present crimes on warring parties responsible for these horrific acts of violence and
• Prioritize the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to all in need to ensure that women’s emergency needs are swiftly met and we demand justice for these horrific crimes; they must not go unpunished.

Our regional and international institutions must be ashamed in the face of the mass suicide 10 years after the Tabit incident. Their continued inaction and impunity have enabled past perpetrators to continue inflicting crimes in Darfur and across the Sudan. Ending the use of rape as a weapon of war must be accomplished by upholding international law. Sudanese women must not be left to resort to suicide restore their dignity.

Thank you for your continued support. Stay connected for updates and ways to take action.

With gratitude,
Niemat Ahmadi
President, Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG)
The DWAG Team