Women escaping Sudan’s al-Fashir have told harrowing stories of killings, systematic rape, and the disappearance of their children following the city’s capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the United Nations agency for women. The fall of al-Fashir on October 26 cemented the RSF’s control over Darfur after more than two years of brutal conflict with Sudan’s army. Civilians fleeing the city described scenes of chaos — people shot in the streets, homes destroyed, and drones striking residential areas.
Jocomms Correspondent reports that Anna Mutavati, UN Women’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, told journalists in Geneva that the accounts gathered from survivors reveal “horrors that no one should ever endure.” She said evidence shows rape is being used deliberately and systematically as a weapon of war. “Women’s bodies have become a crime scene in Sudan,” Mutavati said, warning that there are now “no safe spaces left” for women to seek shelter, protection, or even basic psychosocial care. Reports from field workers in Darfur describe women foraging for wild leaves to make soup, only to face further risks of abduction and sexual violence.
With famine tightening its grip, UN agencies estimate that about 11 million women and girls in Darfur are facing acute food insecurity. Some 82,000 people have already fled al-Fashir and nearby areas, while an estimated 200,000 remain trapped under siege conditions. The UN Human Rights Chief has also voiced fears of ongoing executions, ethnic killings, and widespread sexual violence. As Sudan’s humanitarian nightmare deepens, one urgent question haunts the global conscience—how long can the world watch before meaningful protection reaches those most at risk? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.
