Sudan: Al-Fashir Survivors Describe Torture by RSF Fighters. Al-Fashir, Sudan — Survivors of the Rapid Support Forces'(RSF) capture of al-Fashir in late October have recounted harrowing experiences of torture and sexual violence, according to accounts gathered by local NGOs and international aid agencies.
The United Nations has reported widespread human rights violations during the RSF’s takeover of the city.
Mohamed, whose identity has been concealed for his safety, fled al — Fashir for the Tawila camp for displaced people in Sudan. He recounted being tortured for a month and forced to perform hard labor by RSF fighters.
Officials commented on the matter.
The group initially requested 11 million Sudanese pounds, but the ransom was eventually paid.
The United Nations has documented massive violations of human rights during the RSF’s occupation, including widespread sexual violence against women and girls. Aid agency Doctors Without Borders reported over one thousand cases of sexual violence in Tawila last year alone.
Wissal Ismail, a protection officer with local NGO Hope Sudan, has heard stories of rape committed by both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
She also spoke of widespread extortion and violence.
In one incident, she described seven women and ten men being beaten and tortured at a school in the Qarni area, with all the women being sexually assaulted by security forces.
The small support center her organization runs offers counseling and a space for women to gather and cook. Ismail expressed a desire for more psychosocial and medical support for survivors, many of whom are too ashamed to report their abuse.
The RSF’s capture of al-Fashir was part of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, with estimates suggesting more than a hundred thousand people fled the city to places like Tawila.
As survivors struggle to rebuild their lives, Ismail emphasized the urgent need for support and the hope that perpetrators will be brought to justice.
