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Warning: This article contains details of sexual violence that may distress some readers.
Rape remains pervasive in Darfur, MSF report reveals
Sexual violence continues to plague communities in Sudan's Darfur region even as active conflict moves elsewhere, according to a new report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The medical charity describes rape as an "insidious" and "defining feature" of the nearly three-year civil war, with armed groups overwhelmingly responsible for the attacks.
Scale of abuse documented
The report, the most comprehensive account of sexual violence in Sudan's war to date, draws on testimonies from 3,396 survivors treated at MSF-supported clinics in North and South Darfur between January 2024 and November 2025. The vast majority of perpetrators identified by victims were fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose stronghold is in Darfur.
Brutality in conflict hotspots
Many assaults occurred in North Darfur last year, particularly after the RSF seized displaced persons camps in Zamzam and Abu Shouk, as well as the city of el-Fasher in October. MSF describes the violence during this period as "one of the most shocking iterations" of the conflict, marked by extreme brutality.
Over 90% of survivors treated by MSF were attacked while fleeing these areas for safety in Tawila. The assaults often involved multiple perpetrators and included additional violence such as beatings or the murder of relatives.
"They took us to an open area. The first man raped me twice, the second once, the third four times and the fourth once. Apart from the rapes, they beat us with sticks and pointed guns at my head. Another girl who was 15... was raped by three men. We were raped throughout the night."
Survivor testimony, MSF report
"Two of the women in our group were raped by RSF militia in front of us. It was four to five men doing it together. One girl was 22 years old and she died there."
Survivor testimony, MSF report
Ethnic targeting and systemic abuse
The report highlights an ethnic dimension to the attacks, with non-Arab communities such as the Zaghawa, Massalit, and Fur "systematically targeted." The RSF leadership has acknowledged "individual violations" during the takeover of el-Fasher but claims the scale of atrocities has been exaggerated and that investigations are underway.
MSF notes that sexual violence persists even in areas far from active conflict, such as South Darfur. The charity attributes this to a heavily militarized environment, entrenched gender inequalities, and a culture of impunity among perpetrators.
Daily life under threat
In South Darfur, more than 1,300 survivors-56% of those treated at MSF clinics-were assaulted while performing routine tasks such as collecting firewood, fetching water, or traveling to farms. A 40-year-old woman quoted in the report stated, "Every day, when people go to the market, there are four or five cases of rape. When we go to the farm, this happens. Men will cover their heads and rape women... There is no way to stop the rapes. The only way is to try to stay home."
"We were three people-and also my aunt. And there were three soldiers. They took each of us to different places. All of us... my sister, they raped her and now she's pregnant... I feel a deep pain. This is happening to girls, every day-in our area. They are always raping girls."
Survivor in her 20s, MSF report
In South Darfur, 68% of victims reported being assaulted by armed men, though civilians, criminal groups, and intimate partners were also identified as perpetrators. One in five survivors was under 18, with 41 cases involving children under five.
Humanitarian failure and calls for action
MSF warns that its data represents only a fraction of the true scale of abuse, citing barriers such as ongoing insecurity, displacement, stigma, and the lack of functioning protection services. The charity accuses the humanitarian system of failing survivors and urges accountability and immediate intervention.
