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Security Council Countries: Sexual Violence Is a Weapon of War in Sudan

Moatinoon
Nine countries at the UN Security Council have condemned the escalating violence and grave violations faced by women and girls in Sudan.

In a joint statement issued in New York on Monday, Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom—signatories to the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security—said that women and girls in Sudan are bearing an immense humanitarian burden as a result of the ongoing conflict.

The statement strongly condemned the continued, widespread sexual violence and gender-based violence across Sudan, noting that conflict-related sexual violence is increasingly being used “as a deliberate method of warfare.”

It affirmed that women and girls are subjected to extremely serious violations, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, abduction, human trafficking, and forced displacement.

The statement said the abuses affect multiple areas, including El-Fasher, Greater Darfur, and Kordofan, where women are attacked while fleeing violence, searching for food, or attempting to access basic services. It described the targeting of children—including infants and very young children—in rape crimes as “among the most alarming.”

The nine countries stressed that these acts constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. They called on all parties to the conflict to cease attacks on civilians and take concrete steps to ensure the protection of women and girls.

The statement urged urgent action to expand access to quality sexual and reproductive health services without coercion, discrimination, or violence, while emphasizing the need to combat impunity and hold all perpetrators accountable, including those who order, facilitate, or enable such crimes.

The signatory states welcomed ongoing international efforts to document violations and support investigations, including those by the International Criminal Court and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan. They also supported the work of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and her team, calling for the preservation of evidence and for survivors’ voices to be placed at the center of justice processes.

The statement underscored that the full, safe, and equal participation of women is indispensable to any credible, inclusive, and sustainable political solution in Sudan, criticizing the continued marginalization of women despite their pivotal role in humanitarian action, peacebuilding, local mediation, and community protection.

It noted that women’s organizations and women’s rights groups, despite operating on the front lines, continue to face severe funding shortages and exclusion from decision-making circles, calling for their leadership and voices to be placed at the heart of relief, peacebuilding, and reconstruction efforts.

The nine countries warned that the cost of inaction has become devastating for women and girls in Sudan, citing reports of attacks on medical facilities, including the deliberate targeting of a maternity hospital, as well as the fact that nearly three-quarters of female-headed households are suffering from food insecurity.

The statement called on the Security Council to keep the situation of women and girls in Sudan at the forefront of its deliberations on the ongoing crisis in the country.