The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) strongly condemns the ongoing and widespread abuse of women and girls through sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) during Sudan’s two-year civil conflict. This heartbreaking violence, which includes rape, gang rape, and sexual slavery, has sadly been used by the conflicting parties as a brutal way to humiliate, dominate, and displace communities all across the country. Recently, reports have emerged of cases targeting girls as young as 14 years old, especially among second-generation IDPs in Darfur. In this release, ACJPS shares accounts of several incidents of sexual violence against women and girls in the Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur.
On August 2, 2025, at approximately 04:00 PM, two young girls were sexually assaulted by three armed men carrying automatic guns (Kalashnikov) while working on a farm situated in Juhgan Township, on the northern side of the displacement camp located in the vicinity of Kalma. This camp is approximately 12 kilometers north of the city of Nyala in South Darfur. The victims, aged 15 and 17, are internally displaced persons residing in Kalma Camp Center 7. While they couldn't identify the exact individuals responsible, they described the perpetrators as wearing traditional Sudanese clothing called Jalania or Allalh.
After the unfortunate act, the survivors were brought to the Juhgan valley at gunpoint, where they were left to fend for themselves. Luckily, some caring residents came to their rescue and offered social support from local community members, even though they couldn't receive formal medical treatment due to limited health services in the area.
On August 7, 2025, at approximately 1:00 PM, three individuals armed with Kalashnikovs, riding a motorcycle in plain clothing, sexually assaulted a 35-year-old woman while she was working on a farm in Babah village. The survivor, residing in Center Zero of Kalma camp, received psychosocial support without any additional medical intervention.
On August 9, 2025, around 5:00 PM, two young armed men, approximately 16 and 17 years old, one of them in a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniform, attempted to sexually assault a 17-year-old female IDP living in Kalma camp center 4 under gun threats. The incident occurred near Abu Uodam township, east of the camp, while the survivor was on her way to collect firewood. They abused her and tortured her with leather lashes all over her body, including her face and back, but she resisted and managed to escape.
Call to action;
1. Warring parties are urged to respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to safeguard civilians. The Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which Sudan signed in 2000, delineate the prohibition of such acts in conflict situations, considering them grave breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law.
2. Humanitarian actors are urged to support survivors by facilitating access to a comprehensive range of services, including clinical care, psychosocial support, and individualized gender-based violence (GBV) case management, to address the repercussions of sexual violence and promote healing. Provision of safe shelters, emergency cash aid, and other protective measures is essential for safeguarding survivors at immediate risk of further harm. Additionally, establishing secure, confidential, and effective referral pathways across various services is vital, along with ensuring access to legal advice and representation for survivors of all forms of GBV.
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