Rape and sexual violence remain part of everyday life in areas of Sudan even when fighting in the country's civil war has moved elsewhere, according to a new report by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Calling rape a defining feature of the conflict, it says sexual assault is overwhelmingly carried out by armed men and is often accompanied by acts of brutality and humiliation.
But MSF notes that rape persists as an insidious part of life for communities in the western region of Darfur that are no longer on the front line.
This comprehensive report is based on testimonies from 3,396 victims seeking treatment in MSF-supported facilities across North and South Darfur between January 2024 and November 2025.
The warring parties, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are both accused of sexual violence. However, most perpetrators identified by survivors were RSF fighters.
Many cases reported last year occurred in North Darfur, following RSF takeovers of displaced persons camps and the city of el-Fasher, which MSF describes as a shocking iteration, unfolding the most unimaginable brutality. More than 90% of victims were assaulted while traveling to safety.
Testimonies highlight the extreme violence associated with acts of sexual assault, often involving multiple aggressors. One survivor recounted her experience: They took us to an open area, and I was raped multiple times by several men.
The report reinforces accounts of ethnic targeting in the attacks, indicating that non-Arab communities like the Zaghawa, Massalit, and Fur were systematically targeted.
MSF emphasizes that the humanitarian system has failed to respond adequately to the needs of survivors and calls for urgent accountability and action to address the escalating crisis of sexual violence in Sudan.
